Neck pain is a very common problem in the United States, affecting 30-50% of adults every year. The chronic disability caused by neck pain is substantial, ranking second only to low back pain. Neck pain is a very costly disability, costing $85.9 billion in 2005, nearly 9% of the total health care expenditure. This high cost in neck pain may be caused by patients receiving ineffective treatments, causing increased disability. To combat this disability, Joint Mobilization (JM) and exercise has been shown to be more effective than exercise or JM alone. It’s unclear exactly how this combination better manages disability caused by neck pain. One proposed theory is that JM decreases pain, which in turn makes patients more likely to perform their
