Neck pain
(NP) is a considerable health problem, affecting both
young and elderly individuals. Of particular concern
is the negative impact NP may have on the functional
ability of the geriatric population, already challenged
by decreased mobility and balance associated with ageing.
Chiropractic manual treatment and rehabilitative exercise
have demonstrated potential for the treatment of NP
in younger individuals, but have yet to be rigorously
tested in the elderly.
The broad,
long-term objective of this research is to identify
effective therapies for patients, 65 years and older,
who suffer with chronic neck pain and to enhance their
functional capacity.
Primary Aims
- To determine the relative clinical effectiveness
of 1) chiropractic manual treatment and home exercise ,
2) supervised rehabilitative exercise and
home exercise , and 3) home exercise alone in both
the short-term (after 12 weeks) and long-term (after
52 weeks), using patient-rated neck
pain as the main outcome measure.
Secondary
Aims
- To estimate the short- and long-term relative effectiveness
of the three interventions using:
- Patient-rated outcomes: neck
related disability, general
health status, patient satisfaction, improvement
, and medication use measured
by self-report questionnaires;
- Objective functional performance outcomes: neck motion, strength and endurance,
and functional ability measured by examiners
masked to treatment group assignment;
- Cost measures: direct and indirect costs,
and cost utility of treatment measured by questionnaires,
phone interviews, and medical records.
- To describe patients' perceptions of treatment and
the issues they consider when determining their satisfaction
with care.
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