Physiotherapy
commonly prescribed to treat female office workers with neck pain does little
to alleviate their pain.
A
new study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found that female staff with
chronic neck pain who were offered either dynamic muscle therapy or relaxation
therapy, two popular treatments for the ailment, were no better after 12 weeks
than those who just continued with everyday activities.
Under
the study, the patient’s level of neck pain was assessed after 12 weeks of
treatment with follow-up assessments made after three, six and 12 months.
The
authors of the report from Tampere Regional Institute of Occupational Health in
Finland said the research showed there was no clinical basis for the treatment
of neck pain using these techniques and questioned their further use.
