Effect of Kinetic Control Retraining on Neck Proprioception and Function in Cervical Radiculopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

IntroductionNeck pain (NP) with radiculopathy commonly presents in medical settings 1 .Cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR) is one of the most common cervical disorders.CSR manifests in around 70% of instances 2 .The prevalence of degenerative changes in the cervical spine increases with age, reaching its zenith in adults in their fifties and sixties 3 .The signs and symptoms of CSR arise from a complex process in which spinal and disc anatomy alone inadequately accounts for pain; changes in anatomical, inflammatory, functional, and structural alignment converge to generate clinical complaints 4 .Although CSR can result from various sources, inflammation caused by mechanical and shearing stresses on nerve roots is a significant contributor to pain, restricted neck motion, and neurological problems 5 .Proprioception refers to the knowledge of bodily movement and positioning, which includes both position sense (joint position sense) and movement sense (kinesthesia).The ascending proprioceptive information conveys to the central nervous system via the afferent pathway, enabling Abstract Objectives: Cervical radiculopathy is a prevalent neuromusculoskeletal disorder which negatively impacts quality of life.Kinetic control concept indicates that the main goals of rehabilitation are to improve motor control and stabilize the cervical spine.The aim of this study was to assess the impact of kinetic control retraining on neck proprioception and function in individuals with cervical radiculopathy.Methods: A total of forty-four participants, aged 40 to 55, diagnosed with chronic unilateral cervical spondylotic radiculopathy, were randomly divided into two equal groups.The study group received kinetic control retraining along with the conventional physical therapy protocol.The control group underwent a conventional physical therapy protocol, comprising three sessions weekly for eight successive weeks.Cervical joint position error was assessed through cervical range of motion, pain levels were measured by the Visual Analogue Scale, neck-related disability was evaluated using Arabic Neck Disability Index scores, and deep neck flexor performance was tested with a pressurebiofeedback device.Results: After eight weeks of intervention, statistically significant differences between groups were observed across all outcome measures, favoring the study group (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Kinetic Control retraining has a useful effect on managing chronic cervical radiculopathy by reducing pain and enhancing proprioception and functional abilities.ClinicalTrials.govID: NCT06803134.