Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation therapy versus manual therapy in patients with neck pain: a randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Objective: To compare the effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation therapy with manual therapy in improving the range of motion, decreasing pain, and improving activity of daily living in patients with neck pain. Design: Double-blinded, randomized, experimental study. Patients: Women aged 45–65 with cervical pain due to osteoarthritis of the vertebral body and intervertebral disc. Methods: A total of 93 randomly selected females were included in the study. They were randomly divided into 2 groups. One received proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation treatment and the other received manual therapy. To evaluate functional capabilities, the Oswestry Disability Index and range of motion measure were used. To evaluate changes in subjective experience of pain the Visual Analogue Scale was used. Results: In terms of the activities of daily living, pain, and range of motion of flexion, extension, lateral flexion to the right and left, and rotation to the right and left improvement in group I compared with group II was statistically significant (p < 0.05) at 2 weeks and 3 months’ follow-up. Conclusion: Treatment according to proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation is a better method in comparison with manual therapy regarding improvement of pain, range of motion, and daily functioning in patients with cervical pain.