Computerized mobilization of the cervical spine for the treatment of chronic neck pain.

BACKGROUND Manual therapies for chronic neck pain (NP) are imprecise, inconsistent, and brief because of therapist fatigue. OBJECTIVE Investigate the safety and efficacy of computerized mobilization of the cervical spine in the sagittal plane for the treatment of chronic NP. DESIGN Pilot open trial. SETTING : Physical therapy outpatient department. PARTICIPANTS Ten patients with chronic NP. INTERVENTIONS A computerized cradle capable of 3-dimensional neck mobilization was utilized. However, in the present trial the cradle was only utilized in the sagittal plane. Treatment sessions lasted 20 minutes, biweekly, for 6 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES : Numerical rating scale for pain, Neck Disability Index questionnaire, muscle algometry, cervical range of motion (CROM), surface electromyography, and 36-item Short Form Health Survey questionnaire. RESULTS Treatment was not associated with any significant adverse effects. Pain scores reduced by 2 ± 0.5 numerical rating scale points. CROM showed significant improvement at the end of the study (P<0.05). Neck Disability Index showed marked improvement by the fourth week, end of study, and 2 weeks after treatment (P<0.05); headache subscale showed marked reduction. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary results demonstrate the safety of a novel computerized mobilization of the cervical spine. In addition, the data suggest that this method is effective in increasing CROM and in alleviating NP and associated headache.