Does upper cervical manual therapy provide additional benefit in disability and mobility over a physiotherapy primary care program for chronic cervicalgia? A randomized controlled trial
Author
González Rueda, Vanessa
Hidalgo-García, César
Pérez Bellmunt, Albert
Publication date
2020-11-11ISSN
1660-4601
Abstract
Introduction: Neck pain is a condition with a high incidence in primary care. Patients with chronic neck pain often experience reduction in neck mobility. However, no study to date has investigated the effects of manual mobilization of the upper cervical spine in patients with chronic mechanical neck pain and restricted upper cervical rotation. Objective: To evaluate the effect of adding an upper cervical translatoric mobilization or an inhibitory suboccipital technique to a conventional physical therapy protocol in patients with chronic neck pain test on disability and cervical range of motion. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Seventy-eight patients with chronic neck pain and restricted upper cervical rotation were randomized in three groups: Upper cervical translatoric mobilization group, inhibitory suboccipital technique group, or control group. The neck disability index, active cervical mobility, and the flexion–rotation test were assessed at baseline (T0), after the treatment (T1), and at three-month follow-up (T2). Results: There were no statistically significant differences between groups in neck disability index. The upper cervical translatoric mobilization group showed a significant increase in the flexion–rotation test to the more restricted side at T1 (F = 5.992; p < 0.004) and T2 (F = 5.212; p < 0.007) compared to the control group. The inhibitory suboccipital technique group showed a significant increase in the flexion–rotation test to the less restricted side at T1 (F = 3.590; p < 0.027). All groups presented high percentages of negative flexion–rotation tests. (T1: 69.2% upper neck translator mobilization group; 38.5% suboccipital inhibition technique group, 19.2% control group; at T2: 80.8%; 46.2% and 26.9% respectively). No significant differences in the active cervical mobility were found between groups. Conclusion: Adding manual therapy to a conventional physical therapy protocol for the upper cervical spine increased the flexion–rotation test in the short- and mid-term in patients with chronic neck pain. No changes were found in the neck disability index and the global active cervical range of motion.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
61 - Medical sciences
616.7 - Pathology of the organs of locomotion. Skeletal and locomotor systems
Keywords
Coll
Cervicàlgia
Fisioteràpia
Columna vertebral
Discapacitat física
Atenció primària
Cuello
Cervicalgia
Fisioterapia
Columna vertebral
Discapacidades
Atención primaria
Neck
Cervical pain
Physiotherapy
Spine
Disabilities
Primary care
Pages
14
Publisher
MDPI
Collection
17:22
Is part of
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Citation
González-Rueda, Vanessa; Hidalgo-García, César; Rodríguez-Sanz, Jacobo [et al.]. Does upper cervical manual therapy provide additional benefit in disability and mobility over a physiotherapy primary care program for chronic cervicalgia? A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020, 17(22), p. 1-14. Disponible en: <https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/22/8334>. Fecha de acceso: 27 nov. 2020. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17228334.
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Ciències de la Salut [740]
Rights
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/