A Pain in the Neck: The Benefits of Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Cervical Disk Herniation

Have you ever experienced a sharp, radiating pain in your neck and arms? This could be a sign of cervical radiculopathy, a condition caused by a herniated cervical disk. In a recent study, patients with cervical radiculopathy from cervical disk herniation (CDH) who were treated with spinal manipulative therapy showed significant improvement in their symptoms.

At the start of the study “, OUTCOMES FROM MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING –CONFIRMED SYMPTOMATIC CERVICAL DISK HERNIATION PATIENTS TREATED WITH HIGH-VELOCITY, LOW-AMPLITUDE SPINAL MANIPULATIVE THERAPY: APROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY WITH 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP”, fifty patients with neck pain and dermatomal arm pain, sensory, motor, or reflex changes, and at least one positive orthopedic test for cervical radiculopathy were included. Patients were also required to have CDH confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. The study monitored patients’ pain levels, neck disability, and overall impression of change over a three-month period.

After just two weeks of treatment, over half of the patients reported feeling “improved” or “much improved.” This number increased to 68.9% at one month and 85.7% at three months. Patients also showed statistically significant decreases in neck and arm pain levels, as well as neck disability, compared to their baseline scores.

Interestingly, even subacute and chronic patients, who had experienced symptoms for more than four weeks, saw…