Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics
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J Manipulative Physiol Ther · Nov 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialImmediate hypoalgesic and motor effects after a single cervical spine manipulation in subjects with lateral epicondylalgia.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the immediate effects of a single cervical spine manipulation and a manual contact intervention (MCI) on pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) and thermal pain thresholds over the elbow region and pain-free grip (PFG) force in patients with lateral epicondylalgia (LE). ⋯ The application of a manipulation at the cervical spine produced an immediate bilateral increase in PPT in patients with LE. No significant changes for HPT and CPT were found. Finally, cervical manipulation increased PFG on the affected side, but not the maximum grip force on the unaffected arm. Future studies with larger sample sizes are required to examine the effects of thrust manipulation on PPT, HPT, CPT, or PFG.