Comparison of clinical effectiveness of osteopathic correction and massage in the treatment of cervicalgia in surgical specialists experiencing prolonged professional overloads

Introduction . High physical and emotional stress adversely affects physicians′ health. Static, often prolonged, working postures create suboptimal load on the musculoskeletal system, particularly the cervical spine. Extended neck flexion (e. g., over operating tables, computer work) and excessive psychoemotional tension contribute to cervicalgia. Medical professionals themselves rarely seek medical care, compounded by time constraints limiting rehabilitation opportunities. Given surgeons′ unique demands, providing effective treatment with minimal procedures is crucial. These factors defined the study′s purpose. The aim of the study : to compare clinical efficacy of osteopathic correction and massage in cervicalgia therapy for surgical specialists experiencing prolonged occupational overload. Materials and methods . The prospective controlled randomized study was conducted from March 2024 to December 2024 on the basis of the Perm Regional Clinical Hospital. 36 operating surgeons aged 35–55 years were under observation. Depending on the applied method of treatment the patients were divided into two equal groups of 18 people each — the main and control groups using randomization envelopes. Patients of the main group received osteopathic correction (2 sessions with an interval of 14 days). Patients of the control group received a course of medical massage (10 sessions lasting 60 minutes each). All patients were assessed for osteopathic status, level of pain syndrome, limitation of life activity due to neck pain, volume of active movements in the cervical spine before treatment and 7 days after its completion. Results. In the patients of the main group a statistically significant ( p <0,05) decrease in the frequency of detection of the following somatic dysfunctions of the regional level was obtained: thoracic region, visceral component, pelvic region, structural and visceral components. According to these indicators after the completion of treatment, the groups became statistically significantly different ( p <0,05). In patients of the control group there was a statistically significant ( p <0,05) decrease in the frequency of detection of only somatic dysfunctions of the thoracic region, structural component. Statistically significant ( p <0,05) decrease in the degree of pain syndrome severity and limitation of vital activity both in patients of the main and control groups was noted on the background of the conducted treatment, but in the main group the positive changes were significantly more pronounced ( p <0,05). Both patients in the main group who received osteopathic correction and patients in the control group who received medical massage showed a statistically significant ( p <0,01) increase in the volume of active movements in the cervical spine. There were no significant differences between the studied groups in this indicator after treatment completion. Conclusion . Osteopathic correction demonstrated superior pain reduction and functional improvement vs. massage in surgeons with occupational overload. Both methods comparably improved cervical spine. Osteopathy is recommended for this cohort, particularly when massage is contraindicated. Further research is warranted.