Systematic Review on Thoracic Manips for Neck Pain
Reference:Cross KM, et al Thoracic spine thrust manipulation improves pain, range of motion, and self-reported function in patients with mechanical neck pain: a systematic review. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2011;41(9):633-42.
Thoracic manipulations are considered to be a safe alternative to cervical manipulations. For that reason, in the past few years I have been teaching and writing about studies supporting the role of thoracic spine manipulation for the treatment of individuals with neck pain.
This 2011 systematic review included 6 RCTs and basically concludes that thoracic manipulation may be of short-term benefit to patients with acute or subacute mechanical neck pain. However, the body of literature remains relatively weak and more RCTs are required.
Posted on: October 06, 2011
Categories: Thoracic Spine