Combined Effects of Thermotherapy along with Scapular Muscles Strenghtening in Cervical Radiculopathy: A Case Report

Abstract

Cervical radiculopathy is a syndrome in which the patient complains of pain along with sensorimotor deficits. This syndrome commonly develops due to compression of the cervical nerve roots. This report describes the case of 52-year-old histopathology laboratory technician who developed cervical radiculopathy due to prolonged cervical forward flexion while working on his table. The patient also complained of pain on the right scapular border. Radiographic analysis showed cervical spondylosis having osteophyte formation on spinous process of C2, C3, C4, C5 and C6 vertebras. Neural tissue tension test was positive for median nerve. He was treated consecutively with strengthening for shoulder abductors, shoulder adductors, scapula elevators and scapular protractors along with thermotherapy. His right medial border scapular pain and symptoms of cervical radiculopathy decreased in severity after the seventh day of treatment. Although the authors cannot suggest a cause-and effect relationship, this report allows for initial hypothesis development that thermotherapy approach may have clinical merit. Future studies in the form of well-designed, randomised clinical trials should be performed to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach in patients with cervical radiculopathy