The Purpose of this study is to demonstrate the therapeutic effect of a comprehensive rehabilitation approach to cervical radiculopathy including strict bed rest for relief of pain and spasm; instruction for specific activities and posture to prevent aggravation and recurrence; physical therapy such as heating, traction, strengthening exercise; a gradual increase of activities of daily living; and psychotherapy. The subjects of this study were 146 patients with cervical radiculopathy who were admitted to Yongdong Severance Hospital, Yonsei University, and were managed with a comprehensive rehabilitation approach. The major results were as follows: There were abnormal radiographic findings in 78.8% and associated neuromuscular illness in 63% of all patients with cervical radiculopathy. Patients with psychological factors comprised 24% of all patients and had a significantly longer period of admission(average stay 24.3 days) than those without(average stay 18.9 days). The average hospital stay was 20.8 days. At the time of discharge, 86.3% of all patients showed favorable results and 95.9% showed symptomatic improvement. After discharge, 123 cases out of 146 were followed up for an average of 3 months and showed maintenance of their state at discharge in 71.5%, improvement of symptoms in 16.5% and aggravation of symptoms in 12.2%. According to the above results, a comprehensive approach to cervical radiculopathy is an effective management procedure. |