Riassunto dello studio

Three hundred twenty patients with cervical spondylosis were randomized to receive either focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy (fESWT) (n=160) or sham fESWT (n=160). The primary outcome of interest was pain reduction measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes included improvements in the Neck Disability Index (NDI), cervical range of motion (ROM), and quality of life assessed via the Short Form-36 (SF-36) survey. Outcomes were evaluated at baseline and post-treatment. Overall, the study found that patients in the fESWT group had significantly lower VAS and NDI scores and higher ROM and SF-36 scores compared to the control group. The treatment efficacy rate in the fESWT group was 95%, compared to 65% in the control group. These findings suggest that fESWT is an effective and well-tolerated intervention for pain relief and functional improvement in cervical spondylosis.