César Fernández-de-las-Peñas, Luis Palomeque-del-Cerro, Cleofás RodrÃguez-Blanco, Antonia Gómez-Conesa and Juan C. Miangolarra-Page
The aim of this study was to report changes in neck pain at rest, active cervical range of motion, and neck pain at end-range of cervical motion after a single thoracic spine manipulation in a case series of patients with mechanical neck pain. Seven patients with mechanical neck pain received a single thoracic manipulation by an experienced manipulative therapist. The outcome measures of these cases series were neck pain at rest, as measured by a numerical pain rating scale; active cervical range of motion; and neck pain at the end of each neck motion. These outcomes were assessed pre treatment, 5 minutes post manipulation, and 48 hours after the intervention. The results demonstrated a clinically significant reduction in pain at rest in subjects with mechanical neck pain immediately and 48 hours following a thoracic manipulation. Although increases in all tested ranges of motion were obtained, none of them reached statistical significance at either post treatment point. The same was found for pain at the end of range of motion for all tested ranges, with the exception of pain at the end of forward flexion at 48 hours. More than one mechanism likely explains the effects of thoracic spinal manipulation.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 2007, 30, 4,