Neck pain in South Africa: An overview of the prevalence, assessment and management for the contemporary clinician.

This is a narrative overview, not a new study with patients, so it does not directly test a treatment in South African neck pain patients. The article does not describe a systematic search or appraisal method, so the selection of cited evidence cannot be checked from the text. South African prevalence and incidence data are limited and often come from specific groups, such as adolescents, office workers, or Pretoria private practices, so they may not represent all patients. Most management recommendations are taken from guidelines and reviews developed in other settings, which may not match public-sector staffing, resources, or cultural and language needs in South Africa. The text says culturally appropriate patient reported outcome measures and local risk factor research are lacking. Access data are broad and may not tell how often patients can receive repeated treatment.

Do not read this as proof that mobilisation, manipulation, exercise, or self-management will improve your patient. It is a narrative overview that summarises other studies and guidelines, and it does not report new patient outcomes.