Neurodynamic Mobilization for Cervical Radiculopathy (NDM-CR)

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: Completed
• Conditions: Cervical Radiculopathy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: conventional physiotherapy; Other: neurodynamic mobilization

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: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 50
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

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

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• 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

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
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

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain Intensity	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

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Functional Disability	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

• Sponsor: Lebanese German University
• Investigators: Study Chair: Samir Matar, Professor, Lebanese German University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 1, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 28, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): February 28, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 26, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 9, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 11, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 12, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 11, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Radiculopathy
• Other Study ID 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