Active or passive treatment for neck-shoulder pain in occupational health care? A randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Occupational medicine (Oxford) Vol. 54; no. 6; pp. 422 - 424
• Main Authors: SAVOLAINEN, Aslak, AHLBERG, Jari, NUMMILA, Hanna, NISSINEN, Maunu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01-09-2004; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Diseases of the spine; Exercise Therapy - methods; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Musculoskeletal Manipulations - methods; Neck Pain - therapy; Occupational Diseases - therapy; Occupational Health Services - methods; Physical Therapy Modalities - methods; Shoulder - physiopathology; Thorax; Treatment Outcome; Europe; Finland; Human; Self evaluation; Physiotherapy; Occupational exposure; Care; neck-shoulder pain; physiotherapeutic exercises; Pain; Treatment; Efficiency; Shoulder; Manipulation; Neck; Occupational medicine
• ISSN: 0962-7480; 1471-8405
• DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqh070

To compare the effectiveness of thoracic manipulations with instructions for physiotherapeutic exercises for the treatment of neck pain in occupational health care.
Seventy-five subjects aged 30-55 years from a random sample of 241 employees of the Finnish Broadcasting Company were randomly allocated to treatment in the form of four thoracic manipulations (n = 43), or instructions for physiotherapeutic exercises (n = 32). The subjects reported neck-shoulder pain on a structured pain questionnaire using a visual analogue scale (VAS, 0-10). Muscle tenderness and tender thoracic levels were evaluated by a blinded investigator (A.S.) at 6- and 12 month follow-ups.
A statistically significant difference was found in self-reported worst pain by VAS at the 12 month follow-up in favour of the thoracic manipulation group.
The natural course of the neck-shoulder pain in this study appears benign; pain was also reduced in the drop-out group. Both treatments were found effective at the 12 month follow-up. The effect of four manipulations was more favourable than the personal exercise program in treating the more intense phase of pain.