Physical Therapy in Cervical Discopathy. Clinical study

Abstract

Introduction: Cervical pain syndromes constitute a dif f i cult diagnostic and therapeutic problem. Their main causes include abnormal load, microtrauma, and damage to intervertebral discs, joint capsules, ligaments, and muscles. Aim: To assess the ef f ects of physical therapy on pain, range of spinal mobility, and quality of life in patients with cervical discopathy. Materials and methods: The study assessed a group of 31 patients, including 16 women and 15 men, aged 26 to 65 years, who had been diagnosed with discopathy at the C5-6 and C6-7 level. The patients underwent 3-week physical therapy with electrotherapy, ultrasound therapy, laser therapy and kinesiotherapy. Results: The physical therapy used in study patients improved their spinal mobility, had a positive inf l uence on the subjective feeling of pain, reducing or eliminating it completely, and allowed the patients to return to normal everyday functioning. Conclusions: 1. Cervical pain syndromes constitute a dif f i cult diagnostic and therapeutic problem. 2. The physical therapy used in study patients resulted in a pain reduction and improved their spinal mobility and quality of life.