Effectiveness of mobilization therapy and exercises in mechanical neck pain.

OBJECTIVES: While studies have looked into the effects of Maitland mobilization on symptom relief, to date, no work has specifically looked at the effects of Mulligan mobilization. The objective of this work was to compare the effectiveness of Maitland and Mulligan's mobilization and exercises on pain response, range of motion (ROM) and functional ability in patients with mechanical neck pain.

METHODS: A total sample of 60 subjects (21-45 years of age) with complaints of insidious onset of mechanical pain that has lasted for less than 12 weeks and reduced ROM were randomly assigned to: group I - Maitland mobilization and exercises; group - II Mulligan mobilization and exercises; and group-III exercises only, and assessed for dependent variables by a blinded examiner.

RESULTS: Post measurement readings revealed statistical significance with time (p < 0.00) and no significance between groups (p > 0.05) indicating no group is superior to another after treatment and at follow-up. The effect sizes between the treatment groups were small.

CONCLUSION: Our results showed that manual therapy interventions were no better than supervised exercises in reducing pain, improving ROM and neck disability.