J Rheumatol
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Review Meta Analysis
Medicinal and injection therapies for mechanical neck disorders: a Cochrane systematic review.
To systematically review randomized trials on medicines and injections used to improve pain, function/disability, and patient satisfaction in adults with mechanical neck disorders (MND) with or without associated headache or radicular findings. ⋯ Intramuscular injection of lidocaine for chronic MND and intravenous injection of methylprednisolone for acute whiplash were effective treatments. There was limited evidence of effectiveness of epidural injection of methylprednisolone and lidocaine for chronic MND with radicular findings. Muscle relaxants and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs have unclear benefits. There was moderate evidence that Botox-A intramuscular injections for chronic MND were not better than saline.