Conservative management of mechanical neck disorders. A systematic overview and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This overview reports the efficacy of conservative treatments (drug therapy, manual therapy, patient education, physical medicine modalities) in reducing pain in adults with mechanical neck disorders. METHODS: Computerized bibliographic database searches from 1985 to December 1993, information requests from authors, and bibliography screenings were used to identify published and unpublished research. Applying strict criteria, two …