OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of manual therapy and stretching exercise on neck pain and disability. DESIGN: An examiner-blinded randomized cross-over trial. PATIENTS: A total of 125 women with non-specific neck pain. METHODS: Patients were randomized into 2 groups. Group 1 received manual therapy twice weekly and group 2 performed stretching exercises 5 times a week. After 4 weeks the treatments were changed. The follow-up times were after 4 and 12 weeks. Neck pain (visual analogue scale) and disability indices were measured. RESULTS: Mean value (standard deviation) for neck pain was 50 mm (22) and 49 mm (19) at baseline in group 1 and group 2, respectively, and decreased during the first 4 weeks by 26 mm (95% confidence interval 20 to 33) and 19 mm (12 to 27), respectively. There was no significant difference between groups. Neck and shoulder pain and disability index decreased significantly more in group 1 after manual therapy (p = 0.01) as well as neck stiffness (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Both stretching exercise and manual therapy considerably decreased neck pain and disability in women with non-specific neck pain. The difference in effectiveness between the 2 treatments was minor. Low-cost stretching exercises can be recommended in the first instance as an appropriate therapy intervention to relieve pain, at least in the short-term.

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