Necessity of stability tests before manual physical therapyfor upper cervical instability based on current knowledge

Abstract

Integrity tests have been commonly used to evaluate the integrity of ligaments in the head andneck region. In recent years, however, several problems with the implementation of these tests have becomeapparent. The most significant problem is that many of these tests have high specificity but low sensitivity.Low sensitivity means that they are inadequate as indicators of safety screening prior to manual physicaltherapy. This paper discusses the significance of the stability tests in the evaluation of instability in thehead and neck region and the pros and cons of their implementation, with a discussion of the literature.