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Comparative Study
. 1993 Nov-Dec;16(9):573-7.

Biomechanical characterization (fingerprinting) of five novel methods of cervical spine manipulation

G N Kawchuk  1 , W Herzog
Affiliations
  • PMID: 8133191
Comparative Study

Biomechanical characterization (fingerprinting) of five novel methods of cervical spine manipulation

G N Kawchuk et al. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1993 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the biomechanical characteristics of five clinically common methods of cervical spine manipulation.

Design: Descriptive study.

Setting: Human Performance Lab, University of Calgary.

Participants: Five volunteer practitioners treating symptomatic patients from their own clinical populations.

Intervention: Five commonly used methods of cervical spine manipulation: lateral break (LAT), Gonstead (GON), Activator (ACT), toggle (TOG), rotation (ROT).

Main outcome measure: Mean thrust duration (msec), normalized mean peak force (N), slope (N/msec), force profile (graphic representation of the above values.

Results: Outcome measures for each manipulative technique were as follows: LAT = normalized mean peak force of 102.2 N at 86.7 msec, GON = 109.8 N at 91.9 msec, ACT = 40.9 N at 31.8 msec, TOG = 117.6 N at 47.5 msec, ROT = 40.5 N at 79.1 msec.

Conclusion: The observed differences and similarities in force profiles between the five techniques studied here may partly be the manifestation of how a particular technique delivers force to the cervical spine. The clinical significance of force profile characterization is not yet known.

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