Comparison of the short-term effects of Mulligan and Maitland mobilisation techniques combined with home-based exercise for non-specific neck pain: A randomised controlled trial

Hong Kong Physiother J. 2026 Jun;46(1):67-82. doi: 10.1142/S1013702526500058. Epub 2026 Feb 5.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Non-Specific Neck Pain (NSNP) is a common musculoskeletal disorder with a multifactorial etiology. Manual therapy techniques, including Mulligan and Maitland mobilisations, are widely used for pain management and functional improvement in NSNP. However, their comparative effectiveness remains insufficiently investigated.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the short-term effectiveness of Mulligan and Maitland mobilisation techniques when combined with a home-based Therapeutic Exercise (TE) program.

METHODS: A total of 43 adults with NSNP were randomly assigned to three groups: Mulligan + TE ( n = 14 ), Maitland + TE ( n = 14 ), and a control group receiving TE alone ( n = 15 ). The TE program was performed daily at home for two weeks, while manual therapy interventions were administered twice per week for a total of four sessions. Pain intensity, functional ability, pain pressure threshold, Range of Motion (ROM), pain catastrophising, and kinesiophobia were assessed before and after the intervention.

RESULTS: All three groups demonstrated significant improvements in all outcome measures by the second week. However, no statistically significant differences were found between groups ( p > 0 . 05 ). These findings reflect short-term outcomes only and should be interpreted with caution given the limited two-week intervention period.

CONCLUSION: Neither mobilisation technique demonstrated superiority over the other. The combination of Mulligan or Maitland mobilisation with TE did not provide greater benefits than TE alone. The short intervention duration and absence of long-term follow-up represent key study limitations. Further high-quality randomised controlled trials are needed to establish more definitive conclusions.

PMID:42016050 | PMC:PMC13092435 | DOI:10.1142/S1013702526500058