Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2018
Abstract
The aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness of intermittent mechanical traction (IMT) in treating cervical radiculopathy (CR). A literature search was conducted electronically, and the data were extracted from the available papers that evaluated IMT and its combination with other therapies. The risk of bias was assessed using the criteria recommended by the Cochrane Back Review Group. The quality of evidence was evaluated using the grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation method (GRADE). Nine of the articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Results showed that four studies with very low level of evidence, four had a low level of evidence, and one had a moderate level of evidence. Seven studies were determined to have a high risk of bias while two had a low risk of bias. The literature with a moderate level of evidence and a low risk of bias indicated that IMT reduced the disability and pain scores, suggesting that the treatment has a positive effect on patients with CR. Very low, low, and moderate evidences indicated that IMT is effective in lowering disability and pain scores for patients with CR. Conclusions and future directions for research are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Gregory, G., & McKivigan, J. M. (2018). Effectiveness of Intermittent Mechanical Traction in Cervical Radiculopathy: A Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Research and Practice, 7 (2), 39-46. Retrieved from https://touroscholar.touro.edu/chhs_pubs/41
Publisher's Statement
Originally published in the Journal of Medical Research and Practice, 7(2), 39-46. The original material can be found here.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
