The use of telerehabilitation in patients with cervicalgia

Telerehabilitation is a branch of Telemedicine which consists of providing remote rehabilitation services and following the results obtained  through the use of technology. It is a way to facilitate access to therapy and improve the continuity of care for people with disabilities, geographically remote and vulnerable groups and, potentially, save time and money.

In the case of cervical pain, when rehabilitation is required, technology can provide effective care for different conditions, populations and environments.

What Is Cervicalgia? Why is it produced?

Basically, cervicalgia is neck pain. The bones of the neck form the cervical spine, the area that extends from the first spinal vertebra to the seventh.

The first bone of the spine is approximately at the level of the ears and the seventh is at the base of the neck. To keep the head in its normal position, the neck muscles must work properly, since the head and neck are not at a central point, but rather the neck supports the back of the head. Muscle tension required to keep the head in the right position, along with joint damage between these cervical vertebrae, They are common causes of neck pain.

 

What causes this ailment usually generate?

Adrián Ventero Gómez, Supervisor of Physiotherapy In the Marine Health Denia Hospital, Clearly identifies three:

1. Positional and focus of the gaze andn the same point: for example, working with the computer.
2. Profession or activity that requires carrying out Repetitive gestures: For example, an electrician or a painter.
3. Stress situations, in which emotional pain is somatized.

Benefits of physiotherapy in the treatment of cervical pain

 

 

Adrián Ventero explains that there is a wide range of exercises used by physiotherapists to recover the mobility of the neck, promoting the contrary muscles to which the lesion has been fixed.

“One of the things that we always work on is the potentiation of the external rotation of the shoulders: opening, resistance exercises with elastic bands, scapular stabilization…”.

For those who do not know, the shoulder girdle extends from the base of the neck to the upper edge of the chest and connects with the torso.  It is formed by the scapula and the clavicle. It is divided into three zones: anterior or axillary, middle or deltoid and posterior or scapula.

“Physiotherapy therapies always reinforce the shoulder girdle and shoulders.  For this we do external rotation exercises in these”

In general terms and depending on the evolution of the lesion and the consistency of patients in carrying out the prescribed exercises.

“With a month and a half and two months it should be enough to notice a considerable improvement.  From there, maintenance and prevention work”

 

1) Advantages and disadvantages of face-to-face physical therapy

Face-to-face physical therapy is an effective treatment for people with cervicalgia. It is based on the theory that muscle dysfunction and weakness are the root causes of neck pain. Its objective: Restore and improve the function of the neck.

Advantage

• You can make a Musculoskeletal clinical examination that requires specific tests for a more in-depth and complete evaluation of the patient.
• The physical therapist can perform a Face-to-face treatment that allows you to manually check the patient’s recovery status.
• Complementary treatments can be applied through therapeutic devices (shock waves, dry puncture, electrostimulation, ulstrasound, laser, etc.).

Disadvantages

• The use of face masks Still required in many countries can be uncomfortable during exercise.
• There is no traceability of the treatment by not being able to monitor the patient with objective data.
• The cost of time and transport invested by the patient is still high (for example, in towns far from cities)

2) Advantages and disadvantages of physiotherapy with telerehabilitation

In the last decade, technology for remote evaluation, as well as rehabilitation intervention, has grown enormously, which has allowed the development of Telerehabilitation. Typical services included in an online physiotherapy visit include evaluation, treatment, monitoring and monitoring. As for the technologies used, inertial sensors, viewing of videos, detection by camera, virtual reality, among others, are included.

In this sense, Ana Campos, physiotherapist of EVENTAL Comment that:

“A good assessment is the angular piece that leads to an adequate diagnosis and treatment. This assessment is obtained with the same precision in a face-to-face session as in a remote one.”

Besides, According to the latest studies Any physiotherapeutic treatment can benefit from the effects of therapeutic exercise, so in online therapy these benefits are exploited over other therapies, such as manual therapy, which provides more benefits in the short term than in the long term.

Advantage

• No physical barriers, transportation problems and financial limitations given its low cost.
• Avoid unnecessary visits to the consultation and trips by the professional or patient.
• Reduce costs From hospital health care to public health, increasing its operational capacity.
• Democratizes access to therapy To people who live in rural areas, remote or who have special physical conditions.
• Empower the patient involving him more actively in his recovery process.

Disadvantages

• Not applicable in lesions requiring exclusively manual treatment (like performing a massage, for example).
• Although insurers have increasingly covered the cost of telerehabilitation services, such as the case of DKV, it is possible that these services are not yet covered by all insurers.

 

Can we do something to prevent cervical pain?

 

 

For Adrián Ventero Gómez, walking, biking, doing aerobic exercises in the water and maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle, are the best recipes that you can prescribe to prevent this ailment, which today affects so many people.