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The following is a summary of “Are Stabilisation Exercises Effective After Epidural Steroid Injection in Patients With Cervical Radiculopathy? A Prospective Randomised Controlled Trial,” published in the January 2025 issue of Pain by Tayboga et al. 

Cervical radiculopathy results from nerve root dysfunction in the cervical spine, with numerous studies evaluating the effectiveness of interlaminar epidural steroid injection (ILESI) and stabilization exercises individually for this condition.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the impact of different stabilization exercise programs following ILESI on treatment outcomes in patients with radiculopathy.  

They randomized 62 patients with cervical radiculopathy into 3 groups: cervical ILESI-only (CO), neck stabilization group (NSG), and scapular stabilization group (SSG). The CO group received only ILESI, while NSG and SSG also underwent stabilization exercises post-ILES. Outcomes were evaluated at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for neck and arm pain, the Neck Disability Index (NDI) for functionality, and the Short Form-12 (SF-12) for QoL.  

The results showed an improvement in NRS, NDI, and SF-12 parameters in all groups at 1 and 3 months compared to pretreatment. The SF-12 physical parameters improved significantly in the SSG and NSG at 1 month, but no significant difference was found in the CO group. When analyzing the 1st and 3rd-month results, NSG showed greater improvement in the NRSNECK parameter than the other groups.  

Investigators concluded the inclusion of a stabilization exercise program, mainly focusing on neck stabilization, following ILESI treatment demonstrated positive effects on treatment outcomes, warranting its consideration in future treatment protocols. 

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ejp.4777