https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8713-0825
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ABSTRACT
Objective
To investigate the effect of cervical mobilization on joint position sense, balance and gait in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
Methods
Sixteen MS patients received traditional rehabilitation and traditional rehabilitation+cervical mobilization treatments in different orders, 2 days a week for 4 weeks. For the cervical mobilization, joint traction and shifts with myofascial release techniques were applied. Joint position sense was evaluated from the bilateral knee and ankle joints with a digital goniometer, balanced with the Berg Balance Test (BBT), the Functional Reach Test, and gait with the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) and the Timed 25-Foot Walk Test.
Results
Improvements were determined in joint position sense, balance, gait with both treatment methods (p < 0.05). With the addition of cervical mobilization to traditional treatment, there was observed to be an increased effect carried over in knee joint position sense and BBT (p < 0.05). The BBT and DGI scores improved in the group applied with cervical mobilization following the washout period (p < 0.05).
Conclusions
Cervical mobilization could be effective in improving joint position sense, balance and gait, and accelerated improvements in a short time. The application of cervical mobilization could be a supportive treatment method to improve position sense, balance and gait in patients with MS.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Prof. Dr. Kadriye Armutlu, who passed away due to her death, for her contributions to the study.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Supplementary Material
Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/01616412.2024.2338033