Introduction: Neck pain is second only to back pain in frequency of musculo-skeletal consultation in primary care. The most common causes of neck pain include incorrect loading of the neck spine during daily activities and consequent degenerative changes and whiplash injuries. Acute neck pain often becomes chronic. Neck pain is usually treated using an approach that combines therapeutic exercise and manual therapy. Neural mobilization affects neural structures and surrounding tissue through manual techniques or exercises. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to determine the effects of neural mobilization on neck pain, based on the research of given literature. Methods: Databases such as CINAHL, PubMed and ScienceDirect were used for literature research. In the analysis, researches conducted after the year 2000 were studied. All researches were written in English. They were found using the key words in English: neural mobilization [Title/Abstract] AND neck pain, neurodynamics [Title/Abstract] AND cervicobrachial pain, cervical radiculopathy. Results: Ten researches were included in the analysis. In the researches the authors compared the effect of neural mobilization with other conservative treatment methods or with patients that didn't receive physiotherapy. Subjects had problems because of cervical radiculopathy and cervicobrachial pain. The results of the analyzed researches suggest that neural mobilization decreases pain and disability, while increasing flexibility and neurodynamics. Only one research studied the effect of neural mobilization on quality of life. Results didn't show a statistically significant improvement. From the examined researches, the long term effect of neural mobilization on neck pain is not clear. Discussion and conclusion: Neural mobilization represents a good choice in the treatment of patients with neck pain. In such patients, it is appropriate to combine neural mobilization with other manual therapy techniques and therapeutic exercise. Further studies should focus on the long-term effects of neural mobilization and on the difference in effects between articular mobilization and mobilization of the nervous system.
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