Effectiveness of spinal manipulation on chronic cervical pain: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials

Abstract

Introduction: chronic cervical pain is in the posterior and lateral region of the neck with a duration greater than twelve weeks, it is a common disorder in primary care, with a high impact and socioeconomic cost on those who suffer from it. There are several factors that contribute to the chronicity of neck pain such as traumatic antecedents, age, gender, genetics, smoking, level of physical activity and level of job satisfaction, generating a reduction in the patient's quality of life by intervening in the activities of daily living. Objective: to determine the effectiveness of spinal manipulation (SMT) on chronic neck pain. Method: review of randomized controlled clinical trials from WEB OF SCIENCE, SCOPUS, MEDLINE databases. Following the protocol registered in PROSPERO and the recommendations described by PRISMA, randomized clinical trial type studies with high methodological quality were selected, using the PEDro scale with a value ≥ 7 in studies using SMT as a treatment technique in patients with chronic neck pain. Results: 10 randomized clinical trials were included between the years 2013 and 2023 with a total of 992 volunteers, demonstrating the effectiveness of SMT on chronic cervical pain. Conclusion: SMT decreases chronic neck pain, however, it is more effective when it is part of a multimodal protocol involving therapeutic exercise with multiple interventions