Clinical observation on non-surgical spinal decompression traction in treatment of cervical spondylosis

Abstract

In order to explore the effect of non-surgical spinal decompression system (SDS) traction on neck muscle surface electromyography (EMG) of patients with cervical spondylosis, 30 patients with cervical spondylosis in the Rehabilitation Department of the First Affiliated Hospital (East Part), Sun Yat-sen University in China between February 2014 and February 2016 were selected and randomly divided into SDS group and ordinary group with 15 cases in each group. The patients of SDS group and ordinary group were treated with SDS and general traction system for cervical traction respectively. Surface EMG telemeter was used to measure affected side paraspinal muscle, sternocleidomastoid surface EMG, visual analogue scale (VAS) and neck disability index（NDI) score after a course of treatment was observed. Results show that there are statistical differences between the two groups of averaged electromyogram (AEMG) and median frequency（MF) of affected side paraspinal muscle and sternocleidomastoid before, during and after traction for the first time (P < 0.05). After a course of treatment, paraspinal muscle and sternocleidomastoid AEMG and MF of the SDS group are significantly higher than those of the ordinary group (P < 0.05). VAS and NDI score of the two groups after a course of treatment are significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05), and VAS and NDI score of SDS group are significantly lower than those of the ordinary group (P < 0.05). It is concluded that SDS traction is superior to ordinary traction as to the function of relaxing neck muscles and relieving muscle fatigue, much superior as to the treatment effect of cervical spondylosis.

Keywords: Non-operative decompression system, cervical spondylosis, traction, surface electromyography