The effectiveness of aquatherapy in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

The aim of this study was to find the most effective aquatherapy for physical rehabilitation of patients suffering from neurological pain in the cervical spine.

Material & Methods: the study involved 86 patients (59 women, 27 men aged 38 to 55 years). Of these, 43 patients (50%) were in the main group and 43 patients (50%) were in the comparison group. The following were used: observation, aquatherapy, special physical exercises, cervical spine traction, electromyotonometry, pain study (VAS), adaptive potential indices and Ruffier-Dixon index, methods of mathematical statistics.

Results: the effect of aquatherapy on pain was the most effective: in the main group there was a significant reduction in pain (disappearance by 83.7%, improvement by 9.3%, minor improvement by 7%). In the control group, significant pain reduction was obtained only in 60.4% of patients (23.3% – improvement, 7% – insignificant improvement, 9.3% – no improvement).

Conclusions: the study showed that the addition of aqua therapy to the main rehabilitation improves the results of treatment of patients with neuralgic manifestations of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. In the main group there was a significant (p<0.05) decrease in the indices of adaptive potential, Ruffier-Dixon index and diastolic pressure under the influence of aqua therapy, which indicates a decrease in the tension of the cardiovascular system and an increase in the power of the body’s adaptive reserves. Mobility indices of the cervical spine improved, blocks of spasmed muscles were relieved, their tone normalized, and pain decreased.