Neck Pain Patient Decision Aid: Step 4

This page is part of the 'Should I receive manual therapy and exercise for my neck pain?: A patient decision aid' resource for patients. Please see the main project page for further information, or proceed to Step 1 below to describe your neck pain.


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Common reasons to choose each option are listed below. Check how much each reason matters to you on a scale from 0-5. 0 means it is NOT important to you, 5 means it is VERY important to you.

How important is it to you…
To get short-term pain relief

1 2 3 4 5



To improve neck pain and function in the long term
1 2 3 4 5
To avoid the potential minor side effects of manual therapy and exercise
1 2 3 4 5
To avoid the potential for rare, catastrophic events
1 2 3 4 5
To avoid the cost of manual therapy and exercise (if it’s not covered by your insurance)
1 2 3 4 5
To avoid the inconvenience of going to manual therapy and exercise treatment sessions
1 2 3 4 5
List other reasons that are important to you


1 2 3 4 5


1 2 3 4 5


1 2 3 4 5

Now think about which option has the reasons that are most important to you.

Which option do you prefer?
□ Option #1: Manual therapy
□ Option #2: Exercise
□ Option #3: A combination of manual therapy and exercise
□ Option #4: Discuss other options with your physiotherapist or physician
□ Option #5: Do nothing or continue with current strategy