Immediate Effects of Ipsilateral Forearm-Palm Sliding Stimulation on Glove-Type Numbness After Surgery for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: A Case Report

This report aims to investigate the possibility of a new physical therapy intervention for postoperative numbness after cervical myelopathy. The patient was a male in his early 80s. He started outpatient rehabilitation 18 days after laminoplasty, posterior fusion, and intervertebral foramen widening surgery. He began outpatient rehabilitation on the 18th day after vertebroplasty and posterior fusion, and on the 18th day after intervertebral foramen magnification. From 108 days after surgery until the end of outpatient rehabilitation on postoperative day 151, a therapist applied simultaneous sliding tactile stimulation to two points, namely, the ipsilateral palm and forearm, moving gently toward the distal direction. The results showed immediate improvement in numbness, superficial sensation, pain perception, and fine motor control. Simultaneous contact stimulation of the palm with numbness and the ipsilateral forearm without numbness may be a new intervention method to immediately improve numbness and tactile sensation after cervical spondylotic myelopathy surgery and to contribute to the improvement of fine motor control.