Table 1.
Descriptive check-list of selected articles in the literature review of the action of SMT on ROM
| Author year and references | Design | Type of study sample | n° of subjects | n° males | n° females | Ages | Type and area of symptoms (if any) | Duration of symptoms | Treatment and control activity (sham, other or nothing) | N° experiments | When was ROM measured? | Was SMT performed at level of problem? | What was measured? | How was ROM measured? | Approval from ethics committee? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cassidy 1992
[36] |
RCT |
Patients |
100 |
? |
? |
34.5 SD13.0 |
Unilateral neck pain with radiation to trapezius |
<1week n=16 1w - 6m=34 >6 months n=50 |
- SMT (cervical, clinically determined) (n=52) - Mobilization (cervical) (n=48) |
1 |
Before and 5’ after |
Yes |
Cervical ROM, 3 planes |
Goniometer 3 D |
Yes |
| Pollard 1997
[48] |
RCT |
Chiropractic students |
34 |
? |
? |
21-33 |
None |
N/A |
- Sacroiliac manipulation (n=18) - Sham=Mastoid pressure (n=16) |
1 |
Before and 30” after |
N/A |
Straight leg raise on SMT side |
Digital goniometer |
Yes |
| Goodsell 2000
[45] |
Cross-over |
Patients |
26 |
13 |
13 |
(16–69) 39.5 |
Low back pain |
0.5 – 60 months |
- Clinically determined lumbar mobilization - Nothing (lying down) |
2 |
Before and after |
Yes |
Lumbar motion (extension/flexion) |
Fingertips-to-floor Inclinometer |
? |
| Whittingham 2001
[40] |
Cross-over |
Volunteers obtained through adverts |
105 |
42 |
63 |
Group=39.4 Group2=41.9 |
Cervicogenic headache occipital region |
> 6 months |
- SMT upper cervical - Sham (deactivated instrument) |
3 |
Before and after weeks 3, 6, 9 |
Yes |
Lateral flexion, rotation |
Strap-on head goniometer |
Yes |
| Martinez Segura 2006
[37] |
RCT |
Patients referred to physiotherapy to osteopathic clinic |
70 |
25 |
45 |
(20–55) 37 |
Neck pain |
>1Month |
- SMT (C3-C5) - Sham neck mobilization |
1 |
Before and 3’ after |
Yes |
Cervical ROM, 3 planes |
Goniometer |
Yes |
| Konstantinou 2007
[46] |
Cross-over |
Patients referred for physiotherapy suitable for SMT |
26 |
15 |
11 |
>18 38.3 SD11.7 |
Low back pain +/− Leg pain |
>3 months |
- PA mobilization - Nothing |
2 |
Before and 5’ after |
Yes |
Lumbar flexion/extension |
Double inclinometer |
Yes |
| Tuttle 2008
[41] |
Cross-over |
Volunteer staff and students from university |
20 |
10 |
10 |
(19–55) 31 |
Neck pain that limited movement |
>2 weeks |
- PA cervical mobilization at symptom level - Placebo (PA mobilization but asymptomatic side) - Nothing (lying down) - general MT but no high velocity thrust |
4 |
Before and after |
Yes |
Cervical ROM 3 planes |
Post/ant assessment device and head sensor |
Yes |
| Krauss 2008
[42] |
RCT |
Patients referred for physical therapy |
32 |
6 |
26 |
(19–50) 34.2 |
Neck pain |
? |
- Thoracic SMT - Nothing |
2 |
Before and after |
No (thoracic adjustment) |
Active ROM - Left/right rotation |
Inclinometer compass system |
Yes |
| Kanlayanaphotporn 2009
[43] |
RCT |
Patients |
60 |
24 |
36 |
Goup1 39.7 Goup2 44.8 |
Neck pain |
Mean Goup1 804d Goup2 999d |
-Clinically determined mobilization - Random mobilization |
1 |
Before and 5’ after |
Yes |
Cervical ROM, 3 planes |
Magnetic neck brace + 3 inclinometers |
Yes |
| Mansilla-Ferragut 2009
[34] |
RCT |
Volunteers obtained through advert |
37 |
- |
37 |
(21–50) 35+/−8 |
Neck pain < 40 mm mouth opening |
>6 months |
- SMT atlanto-occipital - Sham (cervical manual contact) |
1 |
Before and after |
Yes (atlanto-occipital) |
Mouth opening |
Universal caliper |
Yes |
| Mc Clatchie 2009
[38] |
Cross-over |
Orthopedic patients |
21 |
7 |
14 |
49.8 (+/−9.8) |
Shoulder pain No neck pain last year |
>6 weeks |
- Mobilization (C5- C7) - Sham (same mobilization position but without external force) |
2 |
Before and after |
Yes |
Cervical ROM, 3 planes |
Goniometer |
Yes |
| Passemore 2010
[39] |
RCT |
Volunteer chiropractic students with C1-C2 fixation |
15 |
? |
? |
21-42 |
N/A |
N/A |
- SMT(C1-C2) - Nothing (wait 5’) |
1 |
Before and 5’ after |
N/A |
Cervical ROM, 3 planes |
Goniometer |
Yes |
| Kanlayana-photporn 2010
[44] |
RCT |
Patients |
60 |
18 |
42 |
42.2 (23–68) |
Neck pain |
Mean Group1 1575d Group2 1811d |
- Post/ant (PA) cervical mobilization - random mobilization (PA, right or left) |
1 |
Before and after |
Yes |
Cervical ROM 3 planes |
Magnetic neck brace + 3 inclinometers |
Yes |
| Oliveira Campello 2010
[35] |
RCT |
Volunteer students |
122 |
31 |
91 |
18-30 |
N/A |
N/A |
- SMT atlanto-occipital - Soft occipital tissue treatment - Nothing |
1 |
Before and 2’ after |
N/A |
Mouth opening |
Universal caliper |
Yes |
| Stamospapastomous 2011 [47] | Cross-over study | Volunteer students | 32 | 16 | 16 | 25.5 SD4.5 | N/A | N/A | - SMT(lumbar) - Mobilization (lumbar) | 2 | Before and after | N/A | Bending stiffness and ROM lumbar extension/flexion | Electromagnetic tracking device | Yes |