Chronic cervical dysfunction: correlation of myoelectric findings with clinical progress

In this pilot study, four patients with motion impairment and chronic cervical pain after cervical spine injury received osteopathic manipulative treatment for spinal dysfunction for periods in excess of 3 months. Records were compared for changes in the patient's subjective complaints, in the physician's findings, and in the standardized measurement of electrical activity of the cervical spine musculature. All three measures demonstrated parallel improvement in the health status of these patients. Attention to functional aspects of a neuromusculoskeletal problem appears to provide reliable indicators for directing treatment of somatic dysfunction and registering both subjective and objective change.