A randomized controlled trial comparing manipulation with mobilization for recent onset neck pain

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Physical Therapy
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• Nonspecific neck pain is a common condition affecting individuals of all ages.
• Current treatment options include manual therapies like spinal manipulation and mobilization.
• The comparative effectiveness of these two techniques for recent onset neck pain requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of neck manipulation versus mobilization for patients with recent onset neck pain.
• To determine if neck manipulation provides a faster recovery than mobilization.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted with blind outcome assessment.
• 182 participants with neck pain (duration < 3 months) were recruited from Australian primary care clinics.
• Participants received either neck manipulation or mobilization (4 treatments over 2 weeks).

Main Results:

• The median recovery time for neck pain was 47 days for the manipulation group and 43 days for the mobilization group.
• No statistically significant difference in recovery speed was observed between the two treatment groups (hazard ratio = 0.98).

Conclusions:

• Neck manipulation is not demonstrably more effective than mobilization for recent onset neck pain.
• The findings do not support the use of neck manipulation based on superior effectiveness compared to mobilization.