Stan Metcalfe, BSc PT, FCAMT, Hilary Reese, BSc PT, FCAMT, Robert Sydenham, BSc, DPT, FCAMT
This study examined 67 patients with mechanical neck pain or cervicogenic headaches to evaluate the change in anterolateral neck flexor strength after upper cervical spine manipulation. The control group received spinal manipulation to dysfunctional segments in the lower cervical spine only, and the treatment group received manipulation to dysfunctional segments in both the upper and lower cervical spine. The results showed that following manipulation of the upper and lower cervical spine, the predicted weak side of the treatment group showed a greater improvement in strength compared to the predicted strong side. Also, following manipulation, there was a greater increase in strength of the predicted weak side of the treatment group compared to the predicted weak side of the control group.
The Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy Vol. 14 No. 3 (2006), 152-158