None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Aims: Determine how, in people with neck pain, segmental spinal mobility changes following manual therapy. Background: Little is known about the specific mechanisms underlying neck pain, the subsequent limitation of movement, or the mechanisms of manual therapy interventions. There has been an international focus on improving the understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of spinal pain and on the pathophysiological effects of treatment to improve patient outcomes and reduce the cost and disability associated with spinal pain. One way of accessing this problem is to investigate what aspects of the person's condition changes when they improve following an intervention. Recently, methods involving MRI have become available that will allow such investigations to occur. Experimental procedure: Participants will be required to: (i) Undergo a standard physiotherapy assessment which includes taking a patient history and conducting a physical examination to ensure the patient is suitable for manual therapy treatment and that they have a limitation of rotation of at least 10 degrees. (ii) Attend Allamanda Private Hospital or a local radiology facility for assessment and treatment. Here one MRI of the cervical spine examination will be performed. (iii) Following the MRI, pain and range of rotation will be measured. One therapist will perform a palpation assessment. One segment considered to be contributing to the patient’s symptoms will be marked by taping a 0.8mm diameter sphere that will be visible on the fluoroscopic images. A second therapist will apply a manual therapy treatment for up to 4 mins to the segment selected. The treatment will be repeated until there is an increase of greater than 10 degrees in rotation or up to a maximum of 8 mins, whichever comes first. A second fluoroscopic examination will then be conducted.
Interventions
Participants will receive manual therapy treatment for up to eight minutes on one occasion. The treatment will be localised mobilisation to one intervertebral location involving oscillatory movements and will not include high velocity thrusts. Treatment will be performed by a titled musculoskeletal physiotherapist who is registered to practice in Australia.
Sponsors
Griffith University School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria will be similar to our previous studies for the symptomatic groups i.e. local neck pain for more than two weeks duration. Active neck rotation will be limited by more than 15 degrees to one side producing less than 4/10 pain at the limit of movement and findings on motion palpation of increased stiffness at a location corresponding to their symptoms.
Exclusion criteria
For all groups, exclusion criteria will be a current third party claim, a history of trauma within the previous six months, any contraindications to treatment by manual therapy, or any contraindications to having a CT scan such as pregnancy, previous exposure to ionising radiation etc.
Outcome results
None listed