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NCT Number: NCT07045974

Mulligan Mobilization & Stretching Effects of Cervical

1. To evaluate the effectiveness of mulligan mobilization and stretching exercises in reducing pain in individuals with cervical radiculopathy. 2. To evaluate the effectiveness of mulligan mobilization and stretching exercises in reducing disability in individuals with cervical radiculopathy. 3. To evaluate the effectiveness of mulligan mobilization and stretching exercises at improving ranges in individuals with cervical radiculopathy.

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Key information

Conditions

Cervical Radiculopathy Nervous System Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Neuromuscular Diseases Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Peripheral Nervous System Diseases Radiculopathy Signs and Symptoms

Age range

20 year–50 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Leady Reading Hospital (LRH), Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC)

Peshawar, KPK, 25100, Pakistan

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Dr. Hakeem Khan, MS

CONTACT

[email protected]

03363199633

Mahnoor Ali, MSPT (OMPT)

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

About this study

Cervical Radiculopathy is a condition characterized by dysfunction of cervical spinal nerve roots which occurs as a result of compression or inflammatory pathology from a space occupying lesion such as a disc herniation, decreased disc height and degenerative changes of the uncovertebral joints anteriorly and zygoapophyseal joints posteriorly. Cervical radiculopathy constitutes 5%-36% of all radiculopathies. In general, rate of occurrence of cervical radiculopathy is 83/100,000 with an increased prevalence in the fifth decade of life (203/100,000).

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Participants falling in this category would be recruited into the study.
  • Both genders
  • Age between 20-50 years
  • Subjects with neck pain radiating down to the arm
  • Patients with positive findings for spurling test, Upper Limb Tension Test (ULTT), cervical distraction test and cervical rotation test towards the symptomatic side
  • Subjects who were willing to participate in the study and willing to take treatment for cervical radiculopathy.

Exclusion criteria

  • Participant failing to fall in this category would be excluded of the study.
  • Systemic disease potentially affecting the musculoskeletal system Patients experiencing primary shoulder or upper extremity problem of local origin
  • Patients with any cardiovascular disorders and respiratory disorders
  • Patients with any other pathological conditions involving cervical spine like vertebro basilar insufficiency and canal stenosis
  • Patients having osteophytes in cervical vertebrae
  • Patients who were undergoing treatment for neck pain with other means of physiotherapy at the time of the study
  • Hypermobile joints of cervical vertebrae, Cervical fractures, spinal surgery or other spinal pathologies (i.e. ankylosing spondylitis, spondylolysthesis)
  • Peripheral nerve lesions like neurotemesis and axonotemesis

Treatment and study plan

Group A-Mulligan Mobilization

Other

Group A will receive Mulligan mobilizations (SNAGs). Mulligan SNAGs mobilization technique was applied at level C4/5. Subjects were placed in sitting position and therapist stood behind the patient with therapist's thumbs on spinous process of particular vertebra. Mobilization was given by active movement followed by passive overpressure based on the movement restricted. The duration of treatment was three sets of ten repetitions each.

Conventional treatment include the following:

Subjects in both the groups were treated with hot pack (20 min), TENS (2 to 10 Hz), and manual traction along with deep neck flexor, and isometric neck strengthening.

Group B-Stretching Exercises

Other

Group B will receive stretching exercises. Subject was asked to lie supine on the plinth and the head was held at the edge of the plinth by the therapist. Then with one hand the therapist held the neck in cervical lateral flexion to the opposite side so as to achieve the stretching of the trapezius muscle. Myofascial release by applying sustained finger pressure for 5-10 s on the involved trapezius was given. A gentle myofascial stretching force was applied to take up slack and sustained until a release occurred. This protocol comprised four sets of 15 stretches with 3 min rest.

Conventional treatment include the following:

Subjects in both the groups were treated with hot pack (20 min), TENS (2 to 10 Hz), manual traction along with deep neck flexor, and isometric neck strengthening.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Cervical Pain Intensity Measured by Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)

    Time frame: 4 Weeks

    The NPRS is a segmented numeric version of the visual analog scale (VAS) in which a respondent selects a whole number (0-10 integers) that best reflects the intensity of his/her pain The 11-point numeric scale ranges from '0' representing one pain extreme (e.g. "no pain") to '10' representing the other pain extreme (e.g. "pain as bad as you can imagine" or "worst pain imaginable") High test-retest reliability has been observed in both literate and illiterate patients with rheumatoid arthritis (r = 0.96 and 0.95, respectively) before and after medical consultation.

  2. Cervical Range of Motion by Inclinometer

    Time frame: 4 Weeks

    An inclinometer is a device used to measure angles. It is commonly used in physiotherapy to measure the range of motion (ROM) of joints and very similar to a goniometer.

    The digital inclinometer demonstrated excellent reliability (ICC=0.75-0.86), except for the right lateral flexion (ICC=0.74) and left rotation (ICC=0.72).

  3. Cervical Disability by Neck Disability Index (NDI)

    Time frame: 4 Weeks

    This questionnaire has been designed to give us information as to how your neck pain has affected your ability to manage in everyday life.

    Score: /50 Transform to percentage score x 100 = %points. It has 7 items for daily living, 2 for pain and 1 for concentration. Each item is rated from 0 to 5. Total score is presented in percentage. Higher score tells greater disability while 0 means no disability(16).Total score is 50. In cervical radiculopathy patients it has moderate test retest reliability ICC= 0.68 (22).The NDI has a fair to moderate test-retest reliability in patients with mechanical neck pain but also for patients with cervical radiculopathy. The NDI has a good construct validity.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Ayesha Sadiq, MSPT (OMPT)

CONTACT

[email protected]

03346257484

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Riphah International University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of Mulligan Mobilization and Stretching on Cervical Radiculopathy

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jul 1, 2025
Registry last updated
Feb 25, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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