Manual Cervical Distraction: Measuring Chiropractic Delivery for Neck Pain Clinical Trial

Manual Cervical Distraction (MCD) is a form of Low Velocity Variable Amplitude Spinal Manipulation (LVVA-SM). MCD procedure is performed with participant lying prone on a load instrumented table with moveable headpiece allowing guided head movement while recumbent. Clinician gently grasps posterior aspect of participant's neck with a broad contact (contact hand) between thumb and index finger at specific vertebral level. With opposite hand, clinician grasps control handle. Using contact hand, clinician exhibits superior traction to maintain a contact at a single vertebral level and ensuring a gentle movement via contact with control handle. Goal is to create a slow rhythmic (1-3 sec) localized distractive movement. In this trial, only axial distraction (Cox protocol 1) will be used.