Best Treatment for Neck Pain



  • “For neck pain, chiropractic and exercise are better than drugs”
          New York Times, January 3rd, 2012

  • More and more studies are coming up with the same results, patients utilizing chiropractic care or exercises for acute and sub acute neck pain are more then twice as likely to be pain free then those managed by medicine and typical medical care.
  • Interestingly, when looking at patients at 6 and 12 months after 12 weeks of care (chiropractic, exercise or medication), those taking medication were in more pain and used an increased amount of medication.
  • These studies are significant because neck pain is one of the most common complaints among patients and result in increasing and lofty health care costs.
  • In all previous studies to date involving neck manipulation for both neck pain and headaches there have been no serious or harmful events.
  • For Grades 1 and 2 neck pain (neck pain with little interference of daily activities and neck pain that limits daily activities – without radiculopathy or serious pathology) treatments that are evidence based, effective and safe include:
    •  Manipulation
    •  Mobilization
    •  Low level laser therapy
    •  Acupuncture
    •  Education
    •  Exercise
    •  Massage
    •  Analgesics.
  • Treatments not likely to help and not supported by evidence include:
    • Collars
    • Ultrasound
    • Electrical muscle stimulation
    • TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
    • Surgery
    • Most injection therapies (corticosteroids and radio-frequency neurotoxins).



References

Guzman J, Haldman S, et al. Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders (2008) Clinical Practice Implications of the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders: from Concepts and Findings to Recommendations. Spine 33:S199-213.

Martin BI, Deyo RA, et al. (2008) Expenditures and Health Status among Adults with Back and Neck Problems. JAMA 299:656-64.

Gross A, Miller J, et al. (2010) Manipulation or Mobilization for Neck Pain.  Cochrane Database SystRev.:CD004249.

Kay TM, Gross A, et al; Cervical Overview Group (2007) Exercises for Mechanical Neck Disorders. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.: CD004250

Peloso P, Gross A, et al; Cervical Overview Group (2007) Medicinal and Injection Therapies for Mechanical Neck Disorders. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.: CD000319.

Chapman-Smith, David.  Best Treatment for Neck Pain. The Chiropractic Report (2012) 26;2: p1-7.