The Effect of Directional Specific Thoracic Spine Mobilization on Cervical Spine Pain

Hypothesis: There is no difference in directional specific manipulation of the thoracic spine for patients with neck pain. Patients seeking physical therapy for neck pain routinely have their thoracic spine manipulated. This study seeks to determine if directional limitations in the spine can be specifically determined and treated to decrease neck pain.

Manipulation of the thoracic spine is the most commonly used manual therapy intervention by manual therapists. It is not known whether we can accurately assess and treat directional limitations in the thoracic spine to improve neck pain. One way is to assess where the limitation is and treat it. Another method is to distract the joint. We want to know if matching the limitation to the manipulation method will give patients with neck pain better results. The patient lays on their back. The therapist places a hand on the inferior vertebrae of the motion segment. The patient relaxes and the therapist pushes in an anterior to posterior direction either moving the vertebrae into flexion or entension.

Inclusion Criteria: Patients with Neck Pain; ages 18 - 60 Exclusion Criteria: red flags: leg weakness, night pain, history of cancer, upper motor neuron signs, infection, tumors, osteoporosis, fracture (Boissonnault, 2011) (Cleland, 2004) history of whiplash within 6 weeks, cervical stenosis, CNS involvement, signs consistent with nerve root compression, previous surgery, pending legal action