Effects of Mulligan Belt Traction Versus Fisted Traction in Patients With Lower Cervical Spine Radiculopathy

NCT07628439 | Active Not Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: REC/RCR&AHS/25/0210
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 44
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Individuals with a lower cervical spine radiculopathy diagnosis will undergo screening to determine their eligibility based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Eligible participants will be asked for their informed consent

Conditions

Cervical Radiculopathy

Keywords

cervical spine rediculopathy; muligan belt traction; fisted traction; pain and disability

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Neck Disability Index

  The NDI contains 10 items - 7 relating to activities of daily living, 2 relating to pain and 1 relating to concentration items is scored from 0-5, and the total score is expressed as a percentage (total possible score, 100%), with higher scores corresponding to greater disability. Scoring the NDI: 0 - 4 = No disability 5 - 14 = Mild disability 15 - 24 = Moderate disability 25 - 34 = Severe disability 35 or over = Complete disability

  baseline to 4 week

• Numeric pain rating scale

  The NPRS is a reliable and effective tool for measuring pain. A straight line is drawn on the evaluation sheet, labeled from '0' to '10', where '0' represents no pain and '10' indicates the worst possible pain. Patients are asked to mark a point on the line that reflects the intensity of pain they are experiencing at the time of assessment

  baseline to 4 week

• Cervical Range of Motion

  Cervical Flexion (Looking Down) Position: The patient sits upright. Goniometer Axis: Placed at the external auditory meatus (ear). Stationary Arm: Kept perpendicular to the floor. Moving Arm: Aligned with the base of the nose. Normal Range: 0 to 45 degrees 2 Cervical Extension (Looking Up) Position: Patient remains seated upright. Goniometer Axis: Centered at the external auditory meatus. Stationary Arm: Vertical, perpendicular to the floor. Moving Arm: Follows the line of the nose. Normal Range: 0 to 45 degrees 3\. Cervical Lateral Flexion (Side Bending) Position: Patient sits straight. Goniometer Axis: Over the C7 spinous process. Stationary Arm: Aligned vertically along the spine. Moving Arm: Follows the midline of the head toward the occipital bone. Normal Range: 0 to 45 degrees 4.Cervical Rotation (Turning Head Side to Side) Position: Patient remains upright. Goniometer Axis: Placed at the top center of the head. Stationary Arm: Imaginary line between both shoulder tips.

  baseline to 4 week

Study Arms (2)

conventional group

EXPERIMENTAL

Conventional physiotherapy which include cervical traction, hot pack and isometric strengthening exercises for lower cervical radiculopathy

Other: muligan belt traction; Other: Fisted traction

conventional therapy

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Conventional physiotherapy which include cervical traction, hot pack and isometric strengthening exercises for lower cervical radiculopathy

Other: muligan belt traction; Other: Fisted traction

Interventions

muligan belt traction OTHER

Patient Position: * The Patient lies supine on the treatment table. * Head in neutral or slightly flexed position (according to comfort and symptoms). * Arms rest by the sides. Therapist Position: * Therapist stands at the head end of table, therapist places the middle finger on the concerned cervical segment. * To maintain joint contact and control movement at the level. Belt Placement: * The Mulligan belt is positioned at an angle to apply gentle traction targeting the lower cervical spine (C5-C7) (16) * Make sure there is no pressure on the throat or jaw. Application of Traction: * While maintaining contact at the target segment, therapist leans backward, to apply gentle sustained and controlled traction (distraction force) along the line of the cervical spine. * This help to open up the intervertebral foramen, reduce nerve compression and restore normal joint mechanics. (17) Duration: • Traction is applied for 10-30 seconds per repetition, repeated 3-5 times per session base

conventional group; conventional therapy

Fisted traction OTHER

Sit upright in a chair with back support. • Keep your spine straight and head in a neutral position. Hand Placement: * One fist is placed at the upper chest\\sternum, acting as a fulcrum. * A towel is used between the fist and chest for comfort and positioning.(18) * The opposite hand is placed around the back of head (occiput). Traction Technique: * The head is pulled forward and down, guiding cervical flexion over the fist. * Maintain for 10-15 seconds, repeat 5-10 times, depending on comfort.

conventional group; conventional therapy

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 25 Years - 60 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Both Male and Female
• Clinically or radiologically diagnosed lower cervical radiculopathy(C5-C7)
• Neck pain radiating to the arm and hand
• Positive Spurling's Test or Upper Limb Tension test
• Subacute to chronic phase (\>4 weeks to 6\< weeks)
• Moderate pain (VAS\> 4/10)
• Evident by a score on Neck Disability Index (NDI \>20%)
• Able and willing to give informed consent and follow the protocol

You may not qualify if:

• Thoracic outlet syndrome or carpal tunnel syndrome
• History of previous cervical surgery
• Osteoporosis of cervical spine
• Sign of myelopathy
• Severe cervical disc herniation with cord compression
• Red flag signs (Rheumatoid arthritis, history of trauma, ankylosing spondylitis, prolonged steroid used and malignancy

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Riphah International University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Unknown Facility

Lahore, Punjab Province, 54000, Pakistan

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Caridi JM, Pumberger M, Hughes AP. Cervical radiculopathy: a review. HSS J. 2011 Oct;7(3):265-72. doi: 10.1007/s11420-011-9218-z. Epub 2011 Sep 9.

  PMID: 23024624 RESULT

• Kim HJ, Nemani VM, Piyaskulkaew C, Vargas SR, Riew KD. Cervical Radiculopathy: Incidence and Treatment of 1,420 Consecutive Cases. Asian Spine J. 2016 Apr;10(2):231-7. doi: 10.4184/asj.2016.10.2.231. Epub 2016 Apr 15.

  PMID: 27114762 RESULT

• Peene L, Cohen SP, Brouwer B, James R, Wolff A, Van Boxem K, Van Zundert J. 2. Cervical radicular pain. Pain Pract. 2023 Sep;23(7):800-817. doi: 10.1111/papr.13252. Epub 2023 Jun 4.

  PMID: 37272250 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Radiculopathy; Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 1, 2026
• First Posted: June 5, 2026
• Study Start: July 2, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 6, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 4, 2026
• Last Updated: June 5, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)