Management of Mechanical Neck Pain in A College Student using Cervical Traction: A Case Study

Abstract

Mechanical neck pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder among young adults, particularly college students, due to prolonged screen exposure, poor posture, and sedentary habits. Cervical traction is a commonly used physiotherapeutic modality aimed at reducing pain and improving cervical mobility through spinal decompression.This case study presents a 25-year-old college student with a 3-week history of non-radiating cervical pain associated with prolonged laptop use. Clinical examination revealed moderate pain, reduced cervical range of motion, and muscle spasm without neurological involvement. The intervention consisted of a structured cervical traction program administered over 3 weeks without adjunct strengthening exercises.Outcome measures included the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), and cervical range of motion (CROM). Post-intervention findings showed marked reduction in pain (VAS reduced from 7/10 to 2/10), significant improvement in functional disability (NDI reduced from 38% to 10%), and restoration of near-normal cervical mobility.The results indicate that cervical traction as a standalone intervention can effectively reduce pain, improve mobility, and enhance functional outcomes in acute mechanical neck pain.