Timing of Rehabilitation Following Cervical Spinal Surgery in Degenerative Myelopathy

NCT07636135 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: Pro00161798
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether starting rehabilitation earlier after surgery can improve recovery and is feasible and acceptable for adults with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) undergoing cervical spine surgery. The main question it aims to answer is: Does starting rehabilitation earlier improve walking, balance, physical activity, quality of life, and nervous system function after surgery? Researchers will compare participants who begin rehabilitation two weeks after surgery with participants who begin rehabilitation six weeks after surgery to see if earlier rehabilitation leads to better recovery outcomes and participation. Participants will: Be randomly assigned to begin rehabilitation either two weeks or six weeks after surgery. Attend physical therapy sessions twice per week for eight weeks focused on strength, balance, and walking. Complete assessments of walking ability, balance, physical activity, quality of life, and nervous system function over several months after surgery. Provide feedback about their experience with the rehabilitation program, including satisfaction and any side effects or challenges related to participation.

Conditions

Cervical Myelopathy

Keywords

physical therapy; post-operative rehabilitation; walking; degenerative cervical myelopathy; spinal cord injury

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change from Baseline in the Ten Metre Walk Test

  Time to walk ten metres; lower times indicate faster walking speed

  Baseline and End Rehabilitation (8 weeks following Baseline)

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Change from Baseline in the Six Minute Walk Test

  Baseline and End Rehabilitation (8 weeks following Baseline)

• Change from Baseline in the Timed Up and Go

  Baseline and End Rehabilitation (8 weeks following Baseline)

• Change from Baseline in the Berg Balance Scale

  Baseline and End Rehabilitation (8 weeks following Baseline)

• Change from Baseline on the 36-item Short Form Survey

  Baseline and End Rehabilitation (8 weeks following Baseline)

• Change from Admission to Study on the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association Scale

  Study Admission and End of Study (12 weeks)

Other Outcomes (4)

• Feasibility (Participant Recruitment and Retention)

  From Study Admission to the End of Study (12 weeks)

• Acceptability

  Immediately following rehabilitation (Week 8 for Intervention Group, Week 12 for Usual Care Control)

• Safety (Adverse Events)

  From Study Admission to the End of Study (12 weeks)

Study Arms (2)

Usual Care Rehabilitation

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will begin post-operative rehabilitation 6 weeks following their cervical spine surgery

Behavioral: Physical Therapy

Early Rehabilitation

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will begin post-operative rehabilitation 2 weeks following their cervical spine surgery

Behavioral: Physical Therapy

Interventions

Physical Therapy BEHAVIORAL

Active, task-specific physical therapy to enhance balance, walking, and strength

Early Rehabilitation; Usual Care Rehabilitation

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• adult (\>18 years of age) with diagnosis of degenerative cervical myelopathy, within 2 weeks of spinal decompression surgery
• plan to be discharged home from acute care (i.e., not admitted to another facility for post-operative rehabilitation)
• able to stand with a maximum of one-person assist (+/- use of gait aid)
• persistent functional impairment in lower extremity strength, balance, coordination, and/or gait
• ability to attend an 8-week in-person rehabilitation program in Edmonton, Alberta

You may not qualify if:

• discharge from acute care facility \> 2 weeks post-operative
• intra-operative or early post-operative complication delaying discharge or precluding participation in early rehabilitation

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Alberta: lead
• Alberta Spine Foundation: collaborator

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Spinal Cord Injuries

Interventions

Physical Therapy Modalities

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Spinal Cord Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Trauma, Nervous System; Wounds and Injuries

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Therapeutics; Rehabilitation

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: May 27, 2026
• First Posted: June 9, 2026
• Study Start: June 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027
• Last Updated: June 9, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share