Effect of Maitland mobilization versus mulligan (SNAGS) mobilization on head repositioning accuracy (HRA), pain and functional disability in patients with chronic neck pain - A randomized controlled clinical trial

Background: Spinal mobilization is commonly used in the treatment of chronic neck pain. Various methods are used to treat patient with neck pain. In chronic neck pain patients have impaired neck proprioception. Manual therapy has evidence in improving neck proprioception patient with chronic neck pain. There is no study found in comparing two spinal manipulative therapies on neck proprioception. Objective: objective of this study is to find out effect of Maitland mobilization versus mulligan (SNAGs) on head repositioning accuracy (HRA), pain and functional disability in chronic neck pain patient. Method: 63 patients was randomly allocated by lottery method and equally allocated into 3 groups. The 3 groups are 1) Maitland mobilization, 2) Mulligan (SNAGS) and3) Conventional treatment group. All the groups given different exercise and treatment given for 3 WEEKS (5 session / week) and they are statistically analysed by ANOVA. Result: When comparison pain between Maitland group and Conventional group shows a mean difference of 1.38 and shows statically significant improvement (p=0.00). For HRA Maitland to SNAGs group and Maitland to conventional shows highly significant (p<0.05), and for Copenhagen Neck Functional Disability all group shows highly significant with higher improvement shown on Maitland group (p=0.00). Conclusion: In this study the patients were treated with Maitland mobilization, SNAGs and conventional therapy in 3 groups, respectively. All three exercises are statistically significant in reducing the patient symptoms. But Maitland mobilization is significant in reducing the patient symptoms when it compared with conventional therapy and SNAGs mobilization.