A team of health experts have said that the practice of spine manipulation, which involves applying thrusts to the neck area of the spine to treat neck pain, must be abandoned.

Neil O'Connell, from the Centre for Research and Rehabilitation at Brunel University and colleagues wrote that the cervical spine manipulation involves a low risk of a stroke due to damage to the major neck arteries. The experts have described the technique as unnecessary nd unadvisable for the patients.

Several physiotherapists, osteopaths and most commonly by chiropractors use the technique to treat neck and back pain or other musculoskeletal conditions. The Cervical spine manipulation involves several high-speed manual manoeuvres to stretch or manipulate the upper spine to relieve the patient of pain.

O'Connell and colleagues said that studies "provide consistent evidence of an association between neurovascular injury and recent exposure to cervical manipulation." They also point out that the technique may cause serious neurovascular complications.

It also increases the risk of tearing the lining of the vertebral artery and even a stroke. The experts also cited a study which showed that the technique only provided moderate short-term pain relief to the patients.