Cervical Postero-anterior Mobilisation: A Brief Review of Evidence of Physiological And Pain Relieving Effects

Abstract A review of the literature from 1982 to the present relating to cervical spine accessory mobilisation was undertaken to assess the current evidence on the effects of postero-anterior accessory mobilisation to the cervical vertebrae. For this, a structured search of four electronic databases was performed to identify articles on the effects of cervical mobilisation. A total of seven articles were identified that described mobilisations as postero-anterior accessory movements applied by a therapist. The evidence reviewed supported the use of accessory mobilisation; effects reported primarily included reduced pain. In addition, stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system and changes in blood pressure were found. While the current findings are promising, there is a need for more research and higher quality publication regarding the effectiveness of cervical accessory mobilisations.

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