The relative effectiveness of the cervical rotatory adjustment and the supine lateral break adjustment in the treatment of facet syndrome in the cervical spine

Abstract

The aim of this investigation was to determine which of two manipulative approaches would prove to be the more effective in terms of increased cervical range of motion and pain relief in the treatment of cervical facet syndrome. The rational for this study was the observation that whenever a supine lateral break was delivered to a lateral fixation in the cervical spine, the adjustment resulted in pain and discomfort due to the sub-optimal mechanics of the facets on the side of contact (Lewis, Jones, Penter: Personal Interview 1996; Bergman ]993 : 232). Thus, because up to 70% of a chiropractors patient base can present with cervical facet syndrome (Jones, Penter: Personal Interview 1996), there was a need to find a manipulative method that would be effective in the treatment of cervical facet syndrome in terms of increased cervical range of motion and pain relief It was hypothesized that by giving a rotatory adjustment on the ipsilateral side of a lateral fixation or a supine lateral break on the contra-lateral side of a lateral fixation, both treatments would be effective for cervical facet syndrome. The rationale being that by delivering these adjustments in the above described procedure, there would be an increase in the facet joint space as opposed to a decrease in the facet joint space which occurs when a lateral break adjustment is delivered on the same side of the lateral break. However, it was proposed in terms of subjective and objective findings, that the rotatory adjustment would be more effective than the supine lateral break