Neck Pain


Cervical Adjustments: Safe or Not?
A new study to print or send and dismantle the unwarranted fears:
www.spinejournal.com/pt/re/spine/abstract.00007632-20071001000016.htm

 

Cost effectiveness of physiotherapy, manual therapy, and general practitioner care for neck pain: economic evaluation alongside a randomised controlled trial.   Korthals-de Bos IB, Hoving JL et al..   Brit Med J 2003 (Apr 26); 326 (7395): 911

  • The manual therapy group showed a faster improvement than the physiotherapy group and the general practitioner care group up to 26 weeks, but differences were negligible by follow up at 52 weeks. The total costs of manual therapy (447 euro; 273 pounds sterling; 402 dollars) were around one third of the costs of physiotherapy (1297 euro) and general practitioner care (1379 euro). These differences were significant: P<0.01 for manual therapy versus physiotherapy and manual therapy versus general practitioner care and P=0.55 for general practitioner care versus physiotherapy. The cost effectiveness ratios and the cost utility ratios showed that manual therapy was less costly and more effective than physiotherapy or general practitioner care.


A blinded randomized clinical trial of manual therapy and physiotherapy for chronic back and neck complaints: physical outcome measures.   Koes BW, Bouter LM et al..   J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1992 (Jan); 15 (1): 16-23

  • In a blinded randomized clinical trial, we compared the effectiveness of manual therapy, physiotherapy, (continued) treatment by the general practitioner (GP), and a placebo therapy (detuned ultrasound and detuned short wave diathermy) for patients (n = 256) with chronic nonspecific back and neck complaints. The physical outcome measures (spinal mobility and physical functioning) are presented for 3, 6 and 12 wk follow-up. Manual therapy showed a faster and larger improvement in physical functioning compared to the other three therapies.


Manual therapy, physical therapy, or continued care by a general practitioner for patients with neck pain. A randomized, controlled trial.   Hoving JL, Koes BW et al.   Ann Intern Med 2002 (May 21); 136 (10): 713-722

  • Neck pain is a common problem, but the effectiveness of frequently applied conservative therapies has never been directly compared. For some nagging neck pain, so-called manual therapy may be more effective than exercise, painkillers and other standard treatments.



  • This "hands-on" technique, in which the neck is adjusted to improve mobility, worked better than exercise therapy by a physical therapist or routine care from a general practitioner for patients with neck pain due to muscle or joint strain.

  • In daily practice, manual therapy with specific adjustments is a favorable treatment option for patients with neck pain compared with physical therapy or continued care by a general practitioner.


Two-year Follow-up of a Randomized Clinical Trial of Spinal Manipulation and Two Types of Exercise for Patients with Chronic Neck Pain.   Evans R, Bronfort G, Nelson B, Goldsmith CH.   Spine 2002 (Nov 1); 27 (21): 2383-2389

  • The results of this study demonstrate an advantage of spinal manipulation combined with low-tech rehabilitative exercise and MedX rehabilitative exercise versus spinal manipulation alone over two years and are similar in magnitude to those observed after one-year follow-up. These results suggest that treatments including supervised rehabilitative exercise should be considered for chronic neck pain sufferers.


Review more articles on Chronic Neck Pain at Chiro.Org