Introduction to the second edition of the Physical Therapy Guidelines for Cervical Dysfunction

Abstract

Guidelines should be consulted as a valuable source of information providing evidence-based physical therapy. Clinical Questions (CQ) 1-10 in the second edition of the Physical Therapy Guidelines for Cervical Dysfunction were judged to be weak recommendation, conditional recommendation, or conditional recommendation against, all with a strength of evidence of D (Very low). In CQ, which compares the intervention group to other conservative therapies rather than wait-and-see, the true effect of the intervention group remains unclear. One reason for the change in recommendations between CQ1 in the second edition and manual physical therapy in the first edition is that CQ1 in the second edition describes the therapeutic effect of joint mobilization alone. Many of the recommendations in the second edition of the Physical Therapy Guidelines for Cervical Dysfunction differ slightly from those in the European and American guidelines. However, the conclusions are almost the same as those of the European and American guidelines, and further studies are awaited. The recommendations of the second edition of the Physical Therapy Guidelines for Cervical Dysfunction Physical Therapy must be considered comprehensively, including evidence from systematic reviews and the knowledge and skills of the physical therapists themselves, and the final decision on application must be made in collaboration with the patient.