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Spine surgery did not improve outcomes for patients with chronic neck pain
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There was no significant difference between conservative care and surgical intervention for patients with chronic neck pain, according to this study.
“Most studies on surgical techniques comparing these to conservative care showed a high risk of bias,” the researchers stated in the abstract. “The benefit of surgery over conservative care is not clearly demonstrated.”
Researchers analyzed three randomized controlled trials and six clinically controlled trials that included patients with neck pain with and without radiculopathy or myelopathy, according to the abstract. Apart from a high risk of bias in all but one study, there was little evidence to support surgical intervention in these patients, the researchers said.
After searching the CENTRAL, PEDro, Medline, Embase and CINAHL databases, two researchers evaluated bias using the Cochrane Back Review Group criteria. The studies included had a primary outcome of pain, functional status and/or recovery, and incorporated studies that had both conservative care and surgical treatment, according to the abstract.
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