Am J Public Health. 2002 Oct; 92(10): 1634-41.

A randomized trial of chiropractic manipulation and mobilization for patients with neck pain: clinical outcomes from the UCLA neck-pain study.

Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H, Harber P, Kominski GF, Yu F, Adams AH.

Department of Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health, University of California-Los Angeles, Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, USA. ehurwitz@ucla.edu

OBJECTIVES: This study compared the relative effectiveness of cervical spine manipulation and mobilization for neck pain. METHODS: Neck-pain patients were randomized to the following conditions: manipulation with or without heat, manipulation with or without electrical muscle stimulation, mobilization with or without heat, and mobilization with or without electrical muscle stimulation. RESULTS: Of 960 eligible patients, 336 enrolled in the study. Mean reductions in pain and disability were similar in the manipulation and mobilization groups through 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Cervical spine manipulation and mobilization yield comparable clinical outcomes.