Comparative study of the effects of two inhibitory suboccipital techniques in non-symptomatic subjects with limited cervical mobility

Abstract

In asymptomatic subjects with limited cervical mobility, pressure maintained suboccipital inhibition manual technique achieves further improvement on cervical range of motion than the technique using the Occipivot cushion.

“Short- and mid-term effects of adding upper cervical manual therapy to a conventional physical therapy program in patients with chronic mechanical neck pain. Randomized controlled clinical trial.”

“…The application of the Upper Cervical Translatoric Mobilization had previously shown to reduce pain in patients with chronic neck pain. 12 The results of the present study showed a higher alleviation. This difference could be related to the inclusion of Flexion-Rotation Test dysfunction as inclusion criteria.…”

“…Patients were positioned supine with a support under the popliteal fossa and the head resting on the therapist’s hands. 12 The third and fourth fingers of both hands pressured on the suboccipital muscles. The applied pressure was adjusted by the therapist according to his perception during the technique (5 minutes) (Figure 2).…”

“…7 In particular, the Upper Cervical Translatoric Mobilization and the Inhibitory Suboccipital Technique have demonstrated to be effective to improve mobility in patients with cervical restriction and reduce pain in patients with mechanical neck pain, headache and cervical dysfunction. 7,11,12 The Upper Cervical Translatoric Mobilization is believed to improve joint mobility 13 and the Inhibitory Suboccipital Technique is described as a technique to reduce muscle tone. 14…”

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment in Tension Headaches

“…The muscles of the suboccipital triangle, rectus capitis posterior major and obliquus capitis superior and inferior, are often implicated as their hypertrophy and asymmetry can result in the compression of the occipital nerve, leading to the typical pain pattern associated with tension headaches (Figure 5). Tensing of the trapezius and erector spinal muscles is a response to psychophysiological stress; this hypertonicity is implicated in TTH, due to the insertion of these muscles near the suboccipital triangle [16]. Fascia also envelops these structures, in which restrictions or abnormalities in the various planes may also similarly result in TTH [17].…”