Effect Of Kinetic Control Training On Pain And Disability In Patients With Cervical Radiculopathy

Abstract

Background: Cervical radiculopathy is a prevalent condition associated with neck pain, disability, postural alterations, and neuromuscular dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a Kinetic Control (KC) training program combined with conventional physical therapy on pain intensity and neck-related disability in patients with cervical radiculopathy. Design: Randomized Controlled Trial. Methods: Sixty patients with cervical radiculopathy (aged 40–55 years) participated in this study. Participants were randomly allocated into two equal groups. The control group (n=30) received a conventional physical therapy program which included therapeutic ultrasound, Maitland mobilization, neural mobilization, isometric exercises. The study group (n=30) received the same conventional program combined with Kinetic Control training targeting uncontrolled movement patterns. Patients were assessed pre- and post-intervention for pain intensity using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), disability using the Neck Disability Index (NDI). The treatment protocol was administered three sessions per week for eight weeks. Results: There were no significant differences between the study and control groups in baseline characteristics (p > 0.05). Both groups showed significant post-treatment improvements in VAS and NDI scores (p < 0.001). However, the study group achieved significantly greater reductions in pain (VAS) and neck disability (NDI) compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Adding a Kinetic Control training program to conventional physical therapy significantly enhanced improvements in pain intensity and neck-related disability in patients with cervical radiculopathy. These findings support the integration of movement control-based retraining strategies in the management of cervical radiculopathy.