According to research published in Annals of Medicine (May 21, 2002;136:713–722, 758–759), manual therapy may be more effective for neck pain than exercise therapy or standard medical care alone. Manual therapy is a hands-on approach in which the neck is gently mobilized within the patient’s available range of motion using carefully applied pressure—similar in concept to chiropractic adjustment techniques.
The study included 183 patients with neck pain who were randomly assigned to one of three groups: exercise therapy, manual therapy, or usual medical care provided by their physicians (which included pain medication, advice, and general exercise recommendations). Patients were allowed to continue any medications they were already taking.
More than two-thirds of the patients receiving manual therapy experienced either complete recovery or marked improvement. In comparison, just over half of the patients receiving exercise therapy improved, while only about one-third of those receiving usual medical care reported similar benefit.
