Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients
| Total, n = 96 | ALA/SOD + physiotherapy, n = 51 | Physiotherapy alone, n = 45 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Males/females | 11/85 | 6/45 | 5/40 |
| Age [years] | 53.2 ± 14.1 (20–83) | 52.7 ± 13.7 (20–81) | 53.8 ± 14.6 (20–83) |
| Weight [kg] | 67.3 ± 12.1 (47–100) | 69.3 ± 13.4 (47–100) | 65.1 ± 10.2 (48–95) |
| Height [cm] | 161.3 ± 7.4 (147–180) | 160.9 ± 7.5 (148–180) | 161.7 ± 7.3 (147–180) |
| BMI [kg/m2] | 25.8 ± 4.4 (16.1–35.2) | 26.6 ± 4.7 (16.1–35.2) | 24.9 ± 3.9 (16.9–34.2) |
| Occupation | |||
| Housewife | 45 (46.9 %) | 26 (51.0 %) | 19 (42.2 %) |
| Pensioner | 10 (10.4 %) | 7 (13.7 %) | 3 (6.7 %) |
| Employer | 5 (5.2 %) | 1 (2.0 % | 4 (8.9 %) |
| Other | 36 (37.5 %) | 17 (33.3 %) | 19 (42.2 %) |
| Diagnosis | |||
| Cervicobrachial pain | 93 (96.9 %) | 51 (100 %) | 42 (93.3 %) |
| Bilateral | 46 (49.5 %) | 28 (54.9 %) | 18 (42.9 %) |
| Right side | 16 (17.2 %) | 3 (5.9 %) | 13 (31.0 %) |
| Left side | 13 (14.0 %) | 7 (13.7 %) | 6 (14.3 %) |
| Unknown | 18 (19.3 %) | 13 (25.5 %) | 5 (11.8 %) |
| Cervical arthrosis | 1 | – | 1 |
| Cervical muscle tension | 1 | – | 1 |
| Cervicalgia | 1 | – | 1 |
The results are reported as means ± standard deviations with minimum–maximum ranges in parentheses, or as absolute and relative frequencies, as appropriate. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups
ALA α-lipoic acid, BMI body mass index, SOD superoxide dismutase