Non-specific mechanical neck pain is a common condition that affects up to 70% of the population at some point during their lifetime, and between 15-20% may have some degree neck pain at any given moment. The descriptor non-specific refers to the fact the condition arises from musculoskeletal strain or dysfunction in the neck region in the absence of a specific underlying medical pathology like degenerative disk disease, meningitis, rheumatoid arthritis, tumors, osteoporosis, and more. Because of the musculoskeletal nature of non-specific mechanical neck pain, patients often seek out chiropractic care; in fact, neck pain is the second most common reason people visit a chiropractor. When managing the condition, chiropractors will often use a combination of treatments, with manual therapies and stabilization exercises providing an excellent option.

In patients with neck pain, it’s common for the deep muscles that stabilize the spine to reduce their activity in an effort to protect injured tissues from further injury. When this happens, the superficial muscles pull double duty to both stabilize the spine and carry out our brain’s directions to move the body around. This overactivity leads to fatigue, which can increase the risk for further pain and disability in the neck, as well as altered biomechanics elsewhere, potentially causing musculoskeletal pain in other parts of the body. The goal of spinal stabilization exercises is to activate the deep muscles and decrease overactivity of the superficial muscles. These exercises may initially be performed in-office under supervision to ensure they’re performed correctly but over time, patients should be able to engage in such exercises between visits.

Manual therapies like manipulation, mobilization, trigger point, and myofascial release applied to the joints, muscles, and/or other soft tissues can help modulate pain signals, restore normal joint movement, increase nerve mobility, correct misalignments, enhance blood flow, relax muscles, restore range of motion, and enhance proprioception or balance. The specific manual therapies and where they are applied will depend on the patient’s history, exam findings, patient preference, and their chiropractor’s training and clinical experience. Treatment may include more than one manual therapy, as well.

While manual therapies and stabilization exercises on their own have both been demonstrated to improve nonspecific mechanical neck pain and disability, studies have shown that patients experience greater outcomes (and potentially speedier results) when these treatment options are combined.