Neurodynamic Mobilization for Cervical Radiculopathy (NDM-CR)

June 11, 2026 updated by: Marie-Louise Ayoub, Lebanese German University

Effectiveness of Adding Neurodynamic Mobilization to Conventional Physiotherapy in Patients With Cervical Radiculopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Cervical radiculopathy is a condition caused by compression or irritation of cervical nerve roots, leading to neck pain, arm pain, sensory disturbances, and functional limitations. This randomized controlled trial evaluated whether adding neurodynamic mobilization to conventional physiotherapy improves pain intensity and functional disability in individuals with cervical radiculopathy. Participants received either conventional physiotherapy alone or conventional physiotherapy combined with neurodynamic mobilization over a 5-week treatment period.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Cervical radiculopathy is a condition where a nerve in the neck becomes irritated or compressed. This can cause neck pain, pain that spreads into the arm, numbness, tingling, and difficulty performing daily activities. It can significantly affect a person's quality of life.

This study investigated whether adding a specific physiotherapy technique called neurodynamic mobilization to standard physiotherapy could improve recovery in patients with cervical radiculopathy.

A total of 50 participants took part in the study. They were randomly divided into two groups. One group received standard physiotherapy treatment only, while the other group received standard physiotherapy combined with neurodynamic mobilization techniques.

Both treatment programs were carried out over five weeks, with a total of 10 treatment sessions.

Participants were evaluated before and after treatment to measure pain levels and how much their neck condition affected daily activities. Pain was measured using a simple rating scale, and disability was measured using a questionnaire.

The results showed that both groups improved over time. However, the group that received the additional neurodynamic mobilization experienced greater reductions in pain and better improvement in daily function compared to the group that received standard physiotherapy alone.

The study suggests that adding neurodynamic mobilization may enhance the effectiveness of physiotherapy for people with cervical radiculopathy.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
50

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Lebanon
    • Beirut
      • Jounieh, Beirut, Lebanon, 0000
        • Lebanese German University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged 18-65 years.
  • Diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy.
  • pain radiating to the upper limb.
  • Presence of at least one neurological sign, including: Sensory deficit, or Muscle weakness, or Diminished reflexes.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previous cervical spine surgery.
  • Cervical myelopathy.
  • Cervical fractures.
  • Tumors affecting the cervical spine.
  • Inflammatory disorders.
  • Any contraindication to physiotherapy interventions.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Conventional Physiotherapy
Participants received conventional physiotherapy including therapeutic exercises, manual therapy, and physical modalities aimed at reducing pain and improving function.
Other: conventional physiotherapy
Conventional physiotherapy consisted of a standardized rehabilitation program including therapeutic exercises, manual therapy techniques, and physical modalities. Therapeutic exercises focused on cervical range of motion, strengthening, and postural correction. Manual therapy included soft tissue techniques and joint mobilization of the cervical spine. Physical modalities were applied to reduce pain and improve function. The intervention was delivered over 5 weeks, with a total of 10 sessions.
Experimental: Conventional Physiotherapy + Neurodynamic Mobilization
Participants received conventional physiotherapy including therapeutic exercises, manual therapy, and physical modalities aimed at reducing pain and improving function. In addition, neurodynamic mobilization techniques targeting cervical nerve roots were applied to improve neural mobility and reduce mechanosensitivity. The intervention was delivered over 5 weeks, with a total of 10 sessions. Techniques included neurodynamic sliding mobilization performed within pain-free or low-pain ranges, individually adapted to patient symptoms.
Other: conventional physiotherapy
Conventional physiotherapy consisted of a standardized rehabilitation program including therapeutic exercises, manual therapy techniques, and physical modalities. Therapeutic exercises focused on cervical range of motion, strengthening, and postural correction. Manual therapy included soft tissue techniques and joint mobilization of the cervical spine. Physical modalities were applied to reduce pain and improve function. The intervention was delivered over 5 weeks, with a total of 10 sessions.
Other: neurodynamic mobilization
Neurodynamic mobilization consisted of specific neural tissue mobilization techniques targeting the affected cervical nerve roots. The techniques were applied in addition to conventional physiotherapy and aimed to restore normal neural mobility and reduce mechanosensitivity. Treatment was delivered over 5 weeks (10 sessions). Each session included standardized neurodynamic sliding techniques performed within pain-free or low-pain ranges, combined with conventional physiotherapy interventions including therapeutic exercises, manual therapy, and physical modalities. The intervention was individually tailored based on patient symptoms and clinical presentation.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain Intensity
Time Frame: Baseline and after 5 weeks of intervention.
Pain intensity will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), a validated self-reported measure of pain severity. The scale ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain. Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity.
Baseline and after 5 weeks of intervention.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Functional Disability
Time Frame: Baseline and after 5 weeks of intervention.
Functional disability will be assessed using the Neck Disability Index (NDI), a validated questionnaire designed to evaluate the impact of neck pain on daily activities. The NDI consists of 10 items, with total scores ranging from 0 to 50. Higher scores indicate greater neck-related disability.
Baseline and after 5 weeks of intervention.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Lebanese German University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Chair: Samir Matar, Professor, Lebanese German University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 28, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 28, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 26, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 9, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 11, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 12, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 11, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • LGU-DPT-RCT-2024-01
  • pk4fs (Registry Identifier: Open Science Framework OSF)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared due to privacy and confidentiality considerations.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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