OBJECTIVETo ovserved the treatment of cervical vertebral instability with kinesitherapy combined with occipitomandibular traction.

METHODSFrom April 2005 to December 2008, 400 patients with cervical vertebral instability including 220 males and 180 females with an average age of 48.4 years old ranging from 34 to 72 years, were treated by the kinesitherapy combined with occipito-mandibular traction, contradict and amend muscle training 2 min everytime, 8 time a day. All patients were followed-up for 6 months (three treatment periods), the clinical symptom improvement, changes of clinical signs scoring and imaging were observed.

RESULTSAfter three treatment periods, the outcome were evaluated and the results were excellent in 210 cases, good in 126, accepted in 53, inefficacy in 11, the total effective rate was 97.3%. The total scores were (22.42 +/- 3.25) before the treatments and (9.03 +/- 1.92) after the treatments. The level replacement of intervertebral were (3.70 +/- 0.12) mm before the treatments and (2.96 +/- 0.09) mm after the treatments; The rotation angle was (12.64 +/- 0.21) degrees before the treatments and (8.90 +/- 0.17) degrees after the treatments.

CONCLUSIONThe kinesitherapy was a simple method with good effect to cure patients with cervical vertebral instability.