Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Physical Therapy - Department of Physical Therapy for Neuromuscular and Neurosurgery

Background: sixty patients from both genders were participated in this study. All patients were diagnosed as unilateral sensory cervical radiculopathy. The patients were randomly divided into three equal groups; Group A (20 patients): received neural mobilization using median nerve bias. Group B (20 patients): received high intensity laser therapy (HILT). Group C (20 patients) received both neural mobilization using median nerve bias and high intensity laser therapy. All groups received infrared radiation and interferential current as conventional physical therapy. Treatment duration was 4 weeks (12 sessions) three times per week day after day. Patients were assessed pre and post treatment (CROM) goniometer to measure cervical range of motion, visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain assessment, and neck disability index (NDI) to assess self-rated disability. Results: the statistical results of this study revealed that within-group comparison there was a significant decrease in VAS and NDI; and a significant increase in cervical ROM in the three groups post treatment compared with that pretreatment (p < 0.001). Also there was a highly significant decrease in VAS and NDI and a significant increase in cervical ROM of group B and group C compared with that of group A post treatment (p < 0.05). Conclusion: HILT alone or in combination with neural mobilization is highly significant and more effective in improving pain intensity, self-rated disability and cervical range of motion than neural mobilization alone, as there is a significant difference between the post treatment results of the two modalities with the advance of high intensity laser over the neurodynamic mobilization .Neural mobilization is less effective than high intensity laser therapy in improving all measured parameters in patients with cervical radiculopathy

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