The efficacy and safety of non-resistance manual therapy in inpatients with acute neck pain caused by traffic accidents: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Neck pain and functional impairment are common complications of traffic accidents (TAs); however, the effects of manual therapy on these symptoms have rarely been studied in the literature. Thus, this randomized controlled trial aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of non-resistance manual therapy (NRT)—a treatment combining mobilization and pressure release techniques—on acute neck pain caused by TA. METHOD: This study will use a two-armed, parallel, assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial design and will be conducted in the Daejeon Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine in South Korea. One hundred twenty patients will be recruited and randomized into an integrative Korean medicine treatment (IMKT) + NRT group and IMKT group in a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcome is a change in the numeric rating scale for neck pain immediately after treatment on hospital day 5 compared to those at baseline. The secondary outcomes are numeric rating scale for radiating arm pain, visual analogue scale for neck pain and radiating arm pain, cervical active range of motion, neck disability index, Patient Global Impression of Change, Short Form-12 Health Survey, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5. DISCUSSION: The findings of this study on the effectiveness and safety of NRT will be helpful for patients with TA-induced neck pain in clinical practice and will provide evidence for developing relevant healthcare-related policies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This protocol has been registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04660175).