May 2002

Study: Manual Therapy Works Best for Neck Pain

New York - For some neck pain, manual therapy may be more effective than exercise, painkillers, and other standard treatments, new study findings suggest.

This "hands-on" technique worked better than exercise therapy or routine care from a doctor, for patients with neck pain due to muscle or joint strain, Reuters Health reported recently.

Researchers led by Dr. Jan Lucas Hoving of Monash University in Victoria, Australia, reported the findings in the May 21 issue of the clinical journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

The study did not distinguish between “manual therapy” provided by chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, and doctors of osteopathy. In the study, the researchers used specific mobilization techniques involving range-of-motion and slowly applied pressure.

The study’s researchers assigned 183 patients to have either manual therapy, exercise therapy, or to continue routine care from their doctors, including advice on home exercises and prescriptions for pain medication, over six weeks. All patients were allowed to continue on any pain medication they had been taking.

At the end of the study, about 68% of manual-therapy patients said they were “completely recovered” or “much improved,” according to the report. That compared with 51% of those on exercise therapy and 36% of patients continuing their usual care.

“Manual therapy seems to be a favorable treatment option for patients with neck pain,” Hoving’s team concluded in the Annals of Internal Medicine article.

Industry News from:
Chiropractic News from: