RESUMO
Objective@# To evaluate the effectiveness of craniocervical flexion training using pressure biofeedback combined with cervical traction among patients with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR).@*Methods@#Sixty patients with CSR receiving treatment in Center of Rehabilitation, Zhejiang Hospital from January 2020 to December 2021 were enrolled and randomly assigned into the control and treatment groups, of 30 patients in each group. All patients were given cervical traction, and patients in the treatment group were given additional craniocervical flexion training using pressure biofeedback for successive four weeks. The effectiveness of craniocervical flexion training combined with cervical traction was evaluated using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI) and the active range of motion (AROM) of cervical flexion, and the neck pain and cervical functions were compared between the two groups before and after treatments using repeated-measures analysis of variance.@* Results@# Fifteen men were included in the treatment group, with a mean age of (49.47±5.33) years, mean disease course of (5.53±2.89) months, and mean VAS score of (4.73±1.39) points, and there were no significant differences between the control and treatment groups in terms of gender, age, course of disease or VAS score (P>0.05). The VAS score and NDI were lower 4 weeks post-treatment than pretreatment in both the treatment [VAS score: (2.13±1.01) vs. (4.73±1.39); NDI: (12.17±2.12) vs. (20.20±3.78)] and control groups [VAS score: (2.93±1.11) vs. (4.90±1.21); NDI: (15.23±2.39) vs. (19.60±3.30)], and the AROM of cervical flexion was significantly higher 4 weeks post-treatment than pretreatment in both the treatment [(42.87°±2.99°) vs. (37.50°±2.80°)] and control groups [(41.80°±3.61°) vs. (38.07°±2.99°)]; there was an interaction between time and group, and a higher improvement for cervical functions was seen in the treatment group than in the control group (FVAS =5.119, P=0.027; FNDI=15.473, P<0.001; FAROM=11.443, P<0.001). @*Conclusion@#Craniocervical flexion training using pressure biofeedback combined with cervical traction may effectively alleviate the neck pain and increase the AROM among patients with CRS, which is more effective to improve patients' cervical functions than cervical traction alone.