Neck Pain Study Sheds Light on Best Care

TORONTO, Feb. 15, 2008- A seven-year, international study published today finds that some alternative therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic and massage are better choices for managing most common neck pain than many current practices. Also included in the short-list of best options for relief are exercises, education, neck mobilization, low level lasertherapy and pain relievers. Therapies such as neck collars and ultrasound are not recommended. The study found that corticosteroid injections and surgery should only be considered if there is associated pain, weakness or numbness in the arm,fracture or serious disease.


The Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders 236 page review of the current research on neck pain ispublished in the journal Spine. The multi-national and inter-disciplinarystudy team included Canadian, American, South American, Australasian andEuropean researchers. The Task Force was created to help neck pain sufferers and health professionals use the best research evidence to prevent, diagnoseand manage neck pain.


In addition to its comprehensive review of the existing body of researchon neck pain, the Task Force also initiated a new study into the association between chiropractic care of the neck and stroke. This innovative piece of research found that patients who visit a chiropractor are no more likely to experience a stroke than are patients who visit their family physician. The study concludes that this type of stroke commonly begins with neck pain and/or headache which causes the patient to seek care from their chiropractor or family physician before the stroke fully develops. "This type of stroke is extremely rare and has been known to occur spontaneously or after ordinary neck movements such as looking up at the skyor shoulder-checking when backing up a car," noted the study's lead author,Dr. David Cassidy, professor of epidemiology at the University of Toronto and senior scientist at the University Health Network at Toronto Western Hospital.


Top findings for neck pain suffers: - Stay as active as you can, exercise and reduce mental stress. - Don't expect to find a single "cause" for your neck pain. - Be cautious of treatments that make "big" claims for relief of neck pain. - Trying a variety of therapies or combinations of therapies may be needed to find relief - see the therapies for which the Task Force found evidence of benefits. - Once you have experienced neck pain, it may come back or remain persistent. - Lengthy treatment is not associated with greater improvements; you should see improvement after 2-4 weeks, if the treatment is the right one for you. - There is relatively little research on what does or does not prevent neck pain; ergonomics, cervical pillows, postural improvements etc. may or may not help.


The Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and ItsAssociated Disorders is composed of a group of international researchers and scientist-clinicians who have spent the past seven years undertaking a comprehensive and structured review of the current research on neck pain. TheScientific Secretariat of the Task Force is composed of 13 members and has been supported by an international Advisory Committee of 17 members. The TaskForce and Advisory Committee members represent 14 disciplines ranging from neurology and rheumatology to epidemiology, chiropractic and physical therapy from across nine countries.

Dr. Zach's Comments:

Highlights of this study:

• Alternative therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage are better choices for managing most common neck pain than many current practices.
• Therapies such as neck collars and ultrasound are not recommended. The study found that corticosteroid injections and surgery should only be used as a last resort.
• The research found that patients who visit a chiropractor are no more likely to experience a stroke than are patients who visit their family physician, as this type of stroke commonly begins with neck pain and/or headache which causes the patient to seek care from their chiropractor or family physician before the stroke fully develops.