MedPath

Chiropractic Manual Therapy and Neck Pain

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain
Interventions
Procedure: Spinal manipulation
Registration Number
NCT01772966
Lead Sponsor
Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College
Brief Summary

Eligible subjects with chronic neck pain will be randomly allocated to one of two intervention groups: real vs control spinal manipulation. They will receive three intervention sessions.

H1: Chronic neck pain patients treated longitudinally over a series of three encounters in one week by random assignment to treatment group with either of the dual delivery procedures (Intervention 1=typical-control or Intervention 2=control-control) will have a 50% error rate of self-report of group allocation at exit interview.

H2: Patients treated by the typical-control dual procedure over a typical sequence of encounters (3 times in one week) will show statistically significant improvement in clinical outcomes; defined quantitatively by visual analogue pain scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), range of motion and pressure algometry; compared to those treated by the control-control dual procedure.

H3: Patients stratified by 'a priori' patient expectation for treatment outcome will show no significant difference in self-report of group allocation or clinical outcome measures.

A total of 372 subjects will be recruited.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
319
Inclusion Criteria
  • Male or Female
  • 21 to 60 years of age
  • Chronic neck pain
  • Neck pain duration greater than 6 weeks
  • Numeric Rating Scale greater than 30, less than 65
  • Pain distribution between nuchal ridge and spine of the scapula
  • Pain aggravated by local provocation maneuvers at single motion segment
  • Antero-posterior glide
  • Paraspinal tenderness
  • Negative provocative maneuvers at adjacent segment
  • Able to tolerate neck movement to 50 percent normal in all directions
Exclusion Criteria
  • Worker's compensation or other medico-legal claim
  • Cervical spine surgery or fracture or dislocation
  • Uncontrolled hypertension (Blood Pressure over 140 over 90)
  • Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack
  • Upper respiratory infection within 4 weeks
  • Severe degenerative disease of the cervical spine
  • New or significantly altered pattern of headache complaint
  • Connective tissue disease
  • Primary fibromyalgia
  • Metabolic or metaplastic bone disease
  • Whiplash injury within 12 months
  • High cholesterol levels not well-managed medically
  • Cardiovascular surgery in the past 6 months or planned
  • Use of narcotic analgesic, prescription anti-inflammatory, or muscle relaxants, anti-convulsants
  • Angina pectoris
  • Dizziness
  • Tinnitus
  • Blurred vision, vertigo, undiagnosed sensory and motor disturbances
  • Radicular symptoms and signs
  • Current use of anticoagulant therapy
  • Upper respiratory infection
  • Neck pain on provocation greater than 7 out of 10
  • Provocation of radicular pain or sensory disturbance
  • Hypermobility of multiple peripheral joints,
  • Physical or mental impairment precluding following instructions or participating -in supine recumbent postures

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Control manipulationSpinal manipulationParticipants will receive spinal manipulation delivered as non-segmental thrust to the neck. They will receive three intervention sessions over 7-10 days.
Spinal manipulationSpinal manipulationParticipants will receive spinal manipulation delivered as segmental thrust to a specific site in the neck. They will receive three intervention sessions over 7-10 days.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Group registrationAt exit assessment following the third intervention session

Participants will be asked to identify which of the two interventions they feel they received.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Pain severity1. at baseline, and 2. At exit assessment following the third intervention session

Pain scores on the PROMIS pain severity instrument.

ImprovementAt exit assessment following the third intervention session

Participants will be asked to rate their level of improvement on the The Global Rating of Change instrument.

Disability1. at baseline, and 2. At exit assessment following the third intervention session

Participants will score the The Neck Disability Index (score out of 50).

Tenderness1. at baseline, and 2. At exit assessment following the third intervention session

Pressure algometry over a single specified spinal site will be used to measure tenderness in kg/sq.sm.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College

🇨🇦

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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