Manual Therapy, Physical Therapy, or GP Care for Neck Pain
Of course I like to see results like this in the medical literature, but do not confuse manual therapy with manipulation. Manipulation is a procedure that takes a joint into the paraphysiologic space (NOT past the anatomical barrier) to stimulate mechanoreceptors in the joint capsule. Mobilization (as in this article) does not achieve this. Any results found with mobilization will generally be greater with manipulation. Also, keep in mind that in many states it is illegal for PTs to perform manipulation–it is a procedure reserved for physician use only.
Annals of Internal Medicine: Abstract