Complementary and alternative medicine for neck pain: Focus on manipulative therapies-chiropractic and osteopathic techniques

Abstract

ABSTRACT Neck pain is an extremely common symptom with a variety of potential etiologies. A significant number of patients are turning to complementary and alternative medicine therapies. In particular, chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation techniques are discussed. “Low quality evidence”, as per the GRADE system criteria used by the Cochrane Review, supports the beneficial effects of these treatments Complications are generally benign and self-limited although occasional catastrophic consequences have been documented. Medical practitioners should familiarize themselves and their patients with the risks and benefits of complementary and alternative medicine in order to make informed decisions. Keywords neck pain, chiropractic, osteopathic, manipulation, complementary and alternative medicine INTRODUCTION Neck pain is a common and potentially difficult to treat problem. At any point in time, about 15% of adults are experiencing neck pain (Hellmann and Stone, 2007). In 2006, neck pain accounted for 13.2 million patient visits in The United States, or more than 1% of all healthcare visits to hospitals and physicians offices. Four out of five of these visits were comprised of patients between the ages of 18 and 64 with a slight preponderance of females at 58% (United States Bone and Joint Initiative, 2011). Various studies have described the patients who are using