Spinal displacement during thoracic manipulative therapy in mechanical neck pain patients: an observational study.

Introduction: Thoracic manipulative therapy (TMT) is recommended for treating patients with mechanical neck pain (MNP). However, there are multiple proposed recommendations for the mechanism for neck pain reduction.

Objective: To investigate displacement of the cervicothoracic spine during the application of TMT in patients with MNP.

Immediate effects of the central posteroanterior mobilization technique on pain and range of motion in patients with mechanical neck pain.

Purpose: To determine the immediate effects of the central posteroanterior (PA) mobilization technique on both pain and active cervical range of motion in patients with mechanical neck pain presenting with central or bilateral symptoms.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 60 patients who were randomly allocated into either 'central PA' or 'random' mobilization group. Two physical therapists and one assessor participated.

Abdominal muscle activity during abdominal hollowing in four starting positions.

The aim of this study was to investigate the activity of the rectus abdominis (RA), external abdominal oblique (EO), and transversus abdominis/internal abdominal oblique (TrA/IO) muscles during abdominal hollowing (AH) in four positions: crook lying, prone lying, four-point kneeling, and wall support standing. Thirty-two healthy participants, aged 21.3+/-0.

The immediate effects of mobilization technique on pain and range of motion in patients presenting with unilateral neck pain: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To determine the immediate effects on both pain and active range of motion (ROM) of the unilateral posteroanterior (PA) mobilization technique on the painful side in mechanical neck pain patients presenting with unilateral symptoms.

Design: Triple-blind, randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Outpatient physical therapy, institutional clinic.

Efficacy of "therapist-selected" versus "randomly selected" mobilisation techniques for the treatment of low back pain: a randomised controlled trial.

The aim of this study was to establish whether the mobilisation technique selected by the treating physiotherapist is more effective in relieving low back pain than a randomly selected mobilisation technique. Two manipulative physiotherapists and 140 subjects suffering non-specific low back pain participated. Baseline measurements were taken before treatment allocation; the therapist then assessed subjects and nominated the preferred treatment grade, spinal level to be treated and mobilisation technique to be used.

Objective manual assessment of lumbar posteroanterior stiffness is now possible.

Objective: To evaluate the reliability and criterion-related validity of a revised version of the reference-based protocol for manually assessing lumbar posteroanterior (PA) stiffness. With the revised protocol, a therapist matched the stiffness of the spine to 1 of 11 stiffness references provided by a mechanical device.

Subjects: Two physiotherapists and 41 asymptomatic subjects participated.

Forces applied during manual therapy to patients with low back pain.

Background: To date, there is little information available regarding the forces used during mobilization treatment of patients with low back pain (LBP).

Objective: This study measured such forces and investigated whether the force characteristics could be predicted on the basis of physical therapist and patient characteristics.

Subjects: Ten physical therapists applied a central posteroanterior (PA) mobilization treatment to 80 patients with LBP, providing data on treatment of 123 lumbar levels.