Effect of mindfulness based stress reduction therapy and deep cervical flexor muscle training on pain, sitting neck posture alignment and lifestyle factors in patients with cervical radicular pain syndrome

Cervical radicular pain is pain perceived in the upper limb caused by activation of nociceptive afferent fibres in a spinal nerve or its roots. Treatment for cervical radicular pain syndrome commonly includes exercises to reduce pain whereas there is scarce of studies which focuses on neck postural alignment and lifestyle of individual affected with cervical radicular pain.

To determine the effect of mindfulness based stress reduction therapy and deep cervical flexor muscle training on pain, lifestyle and sitting neck postural alignment in cervical radicular pain patients.

Forty-five participants with cervical radicular pain syndrome were randomly assigned to three groups Mindfulness based stress reduction therapy with deep cervical flexor muscle training (n=15), deep cervical flexor muscle training (n=15) and the conventional training group (n=15). Pain (NPRS), sitting neck posture alignment (photographic method), lifestyle factors (WHOQOL scale), mindfulness (FFMQ) and activation of deep cervical flexor muscles (deep cervical flexor muscle test) were evaluated at pre and post intervention.

Both the experimental groups showed statistical significance for pain, sitting neck posture angles, lifestyle factors, mindfulness and activation of deep cervical flexors.

The findings of this study showed that both the intervention groups showed significant results in improving pain, sitting neck posture alignment and lifestyle factors compared to control group but there was no significant difference observed in comparison of both the experimental groups.