Manual Therapy and Exercise for Neck Pain: Clinical Treatment Tool-kit

Background

Systematic reviews incorporate information gathered from a large volume of primary research; however, it is often difficult to draw from this pooled data specific treatment techniques and dosages. Many clinicians have a positive attitude towards evidence-based practice, but may not have the time or resources to seek out the specific technique and dosage information from positive trials investigating the effectiveness of treatment strategies. Knowledge translation tools can be used to help clinicians access the evidence provided in systematic reviews and provide the specific technique and dosage information so that it can be implemented in clinical practice.

Purpose

The purpose of ‗Manual therapy and exercise for neck pain: clinical treatment tool-kit‘ is to provide a resource for clinical decision making by providing evidence, techniques, and dosages for the use of manual therapy and exercise in the treatment of neck pain

Tool-kit Description

The information contained in the ‗Manual therapy and exercise for neck pain: clinical treatment tool-kit‘ is drawn from three of the Cervical Overview Group‘s (COG) systematic reviews, which include sixty randomized controlled trials on manual therapy and exercise for neck pain. This tool-kit was produced in association with the International Collaboration on Neck Pain (ICON), who evaluated the three systematic review included in this tool-kit at 8-9/12 using the ‗Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews‘ (AMSTAR) methodological rating tool. It utilizes tables, pictures, and symbols to depict key positive or negative findings for specific techniques, dosages, and outcomes. Related disorder types (whiplash associated disorder, cervicogenic headache, radiculopathy), duration of disorder (acute, subacute, chronic) and follow-up periods (short, intermediate, and long-term – one two, or three GRADE symbols) characterize the findings. The ‗Manual therapy and exercise for neck pain: clinical treatment tool-kit‘ has not been formally evaluated, but treatment recommendations are based on the Cochrane GRADE approach (high ♦, moderate •, low▲).

Using the Tool-kit

The ‗Manual therapy and exercise for neck pain: clinical treatment tool-kit‘ is meant to be applied judiciously. We suggest this tool be used as a resource to inform treatment decisions, but clinicians must understand that treatments should be individualized to each patient and that only the treatments that are within each clinician‘s scope and abilities should be performed. We suggest there are five steps in utilizing this tool-kit as a resource for clinical decision making (Figure 1). The user should identify characteristics of the patient they are treating in Step 1. The evidence is depicted for each patient group in Step 2. The treatment techniques utilized in each positive trial are presented in Step 3 and the corresponding dosage in Step 4. Finally, Step 5 involves individualizing care to each individual patient. The tool-kit is interactive and will allow the participant to click on a link to directly go to the corresponding location in the next step. 

Step 1: Identify your patient 

Identify whether your patient is experiencing acute or chronic pain and whether that patient is experiencing neck pain alone, neck pain with cervicogenic headache or radiculopathy, or whiplash associated disorder

Step 2: Determine the evidence

Use the evidence table to determine the best treatment for the patient you identified in step 1.

Step 3: Inform your technique

Select the techniques that correspond to the positive evidence

Step 4: Consider dosage

Use the dosage information to inform your decision on what dosage you will utilize

Step 5: Individualize treatment

Judiciously apply the evidence, technique, and dosage information to provide an indivualized treatment plan for your patient

References

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