Effects of Cervical Spine Manual Therapy on Range of Motion, Head Repositioning, and Balance in Participants With Cervicogenic Dizziness: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ObjectiveTo evaluate and compare the effects of 2 manual therapy interventions on cervical spine range of motion (ROM), head repositioning accuracy, and balance in patients with chronic cervicogenic dizziness.DesignRandomized controlled trial with 12-week follow-up using blinded outcome assessment.SettingUniversity School of Health Sciences.ParticipantsParticipants (N=86; mean age ± SD, 62.0±12.7y; 50% women) with chronic cervicogenic dizziness.InterventionsParticipants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: sustained natural apophyseal glides (SNAGs) with self-SNAG exercises, passive joint mobilization (PJM) with ROM exercises, or a placebo. Participants each received 2 to 6 treatments over 6 weeks.Main Outcome MeasuresCervical ROM, head repositioning accuracy, and balance.ResultsSNAG therapy resulted in improved (P≤.05) cervical spine ROM in all 6 physiological cervical spine movement directions immediately posttreatment and at 12 weeks. Treatment with PJM resulted in improvement in 1 of the 6 cervical movement directions posttreatment and 1 movement direction at 12 weeks. There was a greater improvement (P<.01) after SNAGs than PJM in extension (mean difference, −7.5°; 95% confidence interval [CI], −13° to −2.0°) and right rotation (mean difference, −6.8°; 95% CI, −11.5° to −2.1°) posttreatment. Manual therapy had no effect on balance or head repositioning accuracy.ConclusionsSNAG treatment improved cervical ROM, and the effects were maintained for 12 weeks after treatment. PJM had very limited impact on cervical ROM. There was no conclusive effect of SNAGs or PJMs on joint repositioning accuracy or balance in people with cervicogenic dizziness.