Although several alternative treatments for neck pain have shown promise, none possess meaningful scientific substantiation.
Acupuncture
A 2006 review of the literature found 10 controlled studies of acupuncture for chronic neck pain.
21
The pooled results suggest that acupuncture may be more effective than fake acupuncture, at least in the short term. However, overall the study quality was fairly low.
Subsequently, a pilot study showed that 10 weeks of acupuncture combined with physical therapy was more effective than either acupuncture or physical therapy alone for chronic neck pain, at least over the short-term.
23
Other randomized trials have found that real acupuncture (versus placebo treatment) improved the quality of life in people with chronic neck pain.
26,28
In another study, 124 people with chronic or acute whiplash were randomized to receive 12 sessions of real or sham electroacupuncture (electricity is applied to the acupuncture points).
27
While those receiving real electroacupunture did have less pain, the results were not clinically significant, and there were no improvements in disability or quality of life.
Interestingly, in a study of 177 people with chronic neck pain, fake acupuncture proved more effective than massage.
5
If acupuncture does have an effect on neck pain, it is probably modest.
Chiropractic
Millions of Americans report that
chiropractic spinal manipulation
has relieved their neck pain, but there is as yet little scientific evidence supporting the use of spinal manipulation for this purpose.
1,2,11-12,25
Most studies have found manipulation (with or without related therapies such as mobilization or
massage
) to be no more effective than other treatments for this condition.
One large study (almost 200 participants) found that a special exercise program called MedX was more effective than chiropractic spinal manipulation.
3
However, a study reported in 2006 showed that a single high-velocity, low-amplitude (eg, chiropractic-style) manipulation of the neck was more effective than a single mobilization procedure in improving range of motion and pain in people with neck pain.
19
And a 2010 systematic review including 17 randomized trials found mixed results for the benefits of manual therapy (including manipulation and mobilization) combined with exercise.
24
According to these researchers, high-quality studies showed manual therapy plus exercise to be more effective than exercise alone in the short-term, but there was no difference over the long-term.
Other Treatments
Osteopathic manipulation
, a form of treatment often compared to chiropractic, is widely believed to help neck pain, but there is as yet no meaningful scientific evidence to support its use for this condition.
14
Many people with neck pain use
massage therapy
for relief, but, again, scientific support is lacking, and one study found fake laser acupuncture more effective than massage for neck pain.
5
A treatment called
prolotherapy
, as well as the herb
white willow
, have shown promise for
back pain
, and might be useful for neck pain as well.
In one study, an ambitious holistic treatment regimen for neck pain (including craniosacral osteopathy along with Rosen Bodywork and Gestalt Psychotherapy) failed to prove more effective than no treatment.
16
Other herbs and supplements sometimes recommended for neck pain, either on the basis of their use for related conditions, or because of their known medical properties, include
boswellia
,
butterbur
,
chondroitin
,
ginger
,
glucosamine
,
proteolytic enzymes
, and
turmeric
.
Qigong
is an ancient Chinese practice involving various breathing exercises and physical postures, which are thought by its practitioners to enhance general health. In one study, Qigong was no more effective than conventional physical therapy exercise techniques in the treatment of chronic, nonspecific neck pain.
22
Dry cupping is an ancient technique used to treat pain. The technique involves placing cups on the skin and then removing the air from the cups to create a vacuum. In a small randomized study, 50 people with chronic neck pain were randomized to dry cupping or the wait-list (no treatment).
29
Those who underwent the treatment reported a decrease in their neck pain. In the absence of a placebo control (sham cupping), however, it is not possible know whether the cupping itself led to beneficial effect in this pilot study.
Biofeedback
,
hypnosis
, and
relaxation therapies
may offer help for pain in general.