Manual Therapy to the Cervical Spine and Diaphragm Combined With Breathing Reeducation Exercises, in nsCNP Patients

Chronic neck pain (CNP) may affect the physical, social, and psychological aspects of the individual, contributing to the increase in costs in society and business. Neck pain is a major cause of morbidity and disability in everyday life and at the workplace, in many different countries and populations, but its basic pathology and pathophysiology are still unclear.

CNP patients present respiratory dysfunction and pain presence is accompanied by a varying amount of decrements in several clinical outcomes affecting the neuromusculoskeletal system like disability, range of motion restriction, and decreased proprioception as well as neuromuscular control. However, the quality of life and psychology of patients with CNP are affected in parallel. The diaphragm is the most important respiratory muscle also contributing to postural stability and spinal control. Several studies have shown that diaphragm manual therapy and breathing retraining exercises can improve respiratory, as well as pain, function, and musculoskeletal outcomes in chronic low back pain. However, the effectiveness in patients with chronic neck pain has not been definitively determined in relation to other physical therapy interventions. The primary purpose of the present study is to determine further the effectiveness of Diaphragmatic Manual Therapy and Breathing Reeducation Exercises in CNP patients. The secondary purpose is to investigate the relationship between CNP, breathing dysfunction, pain, disability, and musculoskeletal clinical outcomes.

The present study is expected to recruit 90 patients with CNP. Patients with CNP will be randomly assigned to (1) Diaphragmatic Manual Therapy plus Cervical Manual Therapy plus Breathing Reeducation Exercises (2) Cervical Manual Therapy plus sham Diaphragmatic Manual Therapy and (3) Conventional Physiotherapy. Each participant will receive a particular intervention program depending on their group allocation. All participants will receive two evaluation sessions before and after the intervention.

Inclusion criteria

• Individuals who have pain for at least 3 months with non-specific mechanical neck pain
• Individuals voluntarily participating in the study
• Patients will also be selected on the basis of demonstrating DB in at least one of a series of tests conducted to assess the extent of their Dysfunctional Breathing (biomechanical, biochemical, psychological)

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnancy

• Contraindications for manual therapy or inability to complete the treatment
• Patients who received physiotherapy or osteopathic treatment during the last 3 months
• Individuals with bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, bronchiectasis and malignancy
• Medical diagnosis of rheumatologic disease
• Medical diagnosis of respiratory disease (COPD, asthma)
• Spine surgery (cervical, spinal, thoracic or abdominal region)
• Medical diagnosis of cancer (past or present)
• Whiplash injuries
• Previous cervical fracture
• Cervical anatomical changes
• Thrombotic events, Anaemia or Diabetes
• Body temperature greater than 37 degrees in the previous 48 hours
• Obesity (BMI greater than 40)
• Scoliosis or other diseases that cause spine and chest deformity
• Positive cervical region instability and positive vertebral artery test
• Individuals with neurological deficits or with motor loss
• Individuals who have whiplash injuries, osteoporosis, or rheumatoid disease (such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome)