Spinal manipulation by a chiropractor, and at-home exercises taught by a physical therapist may be better at relieving sub-acute neck pain than relying on pain-killers.
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After 12-weeks of treatment it was found that spinal manipulation therapy was superior than taking pain medication in the short and long term. They also found that doing the home exercises were just about as good for the patients as the adjustments. However, the chiropractic patients expressed more satisfaction with their treatment than did members of the other groups.
Researchers warn that the safety and effectiveness of each neck pain treatment should be discussed, as manual manipulation of the neck carries a rare but potentially serious risk of stroke.
The study is published in The Annals of Internal Medicine.
Source-Medindia