Efficacy of Manual Therapy in Neck Pain: A Review

Background: Neck pain (NP) is a significant contributor to worldwide disability and poses a considerable financial burden to its stakeholders. Prognosis for chronic neck pain is generally poor, and the associated disability seems to be more persistent than low back pain. 66% of the population will suffer from neck pain at some point during their lifetime. More than one-third of people affected still have low grade symptoms or recurrences more than one year after treatment, often leading to chronic pain. More than one-third of those affected also show signs of mild pain or recurrence after 12 months of management, usually contributing to chronic pain. Different manual therapy methods and strategies exist; a common aspect is the use of hands during therapy which involves both manipulation and mobilization. Aim: To determine the recent research evidences for the efficacy of manual therapy in neck pain patients. Method: This review mainly includes randomized controlled trails (RCTs). Searching done by Google scholar, Pub med and Pedro from 2010 to 2019. We used terms likeneck pain, mobilization, manipulation, exercise and physiotherapy management. Result: Present outcomes shows that manual therapy treatment is effective technique in reducing pain and increasing Range of motion (ROM) in neck pain patients without adverse effects. The search resulted in 150 articles but only 10 articles were selected for the study based on criteria. Conclusion: Manual therapy program designed for neck pain treatment can be more effective at increasing neck ROM and reducing pain.