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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: Clin J Pain. 2020 Apr;36(4):273–280. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000800

Table 3.

The usefulness of each patient characteristic in predicting whether a clinical scenario containing that characteristic was rated inappropriate or appropriate for each therapy (i.e., the percent of scenarios each characteristic helps classify)

Patient characteristics* Predicting a rating of
inappropriate**
Predicting a rating of
appropriate**
Mobilization Manipulation Mobilization Manipulation
Presence of red flags 100.0% 100.0% 65.3% 35.0%
Prior unfavorable experience with spinal manual therapy 86.3% 86.3% 51.6% 61.0%
Major neurologic findings 18.7% 86.3% 41.5% 27.1%
Previous non-manual conservative care failed 13.0% 24.5% --- ---
Additional (e.g., advanced imaging) testing show cervical disc herniation, stenosis, or foraminal osteophytosis 6.5% 2.9%*** 100.0% 100.0%
Clinically substantial traumatic etiology --- 21.9% 30.7% 23.5%
No signs of painful/limited active range of motion --- 4.7% --- ---
Radiographs showing advanced spinal degeneration --- --- 26.0% 65.3%
No cervical nerve root radiculopathy --- --- 7.6% ---
Joint dysfunction in upper cervical spine --- --- --- 14.8%
No local pathology --- --- --- 11.9%
Continued psychosocial stress --- --- --- ---
*

The patient characteristics are all fully defined in the Appendix.

**

Predictions of a rating of inappropriate were versus ratings of equivocal or appropriate. Predictions of appropriate were versus ratings of equivocal or inappropriate.

***

Tests negative for serious pathology included here with other test results.

= This patient characteristic predicts this rating.

= This patient characteristic predicts against this rating.