Introduction —
This topic includes links to society and government-sponsored guidelines from selected countries and regions around the world. We will update these links periodically; newer versions of some guidelines may be available on each society's website. Some societies may require users to log in to access their guidelines.
The recommendations in the following guidelines may vary from those that appear in UpToDate topic reviews. Readers who are looking for UpToDate topic reviews should use the UpToDate search box to find the relevant content.
International
●Commonly used interventional procedures for non-cancer chronic spine pain – A clinical practice guideline (2025)
●Spinal manipulation and mobilisation in paediatrics – An international evidence-based position statement for physiotherapists (2024)
●Consensus practice guidelines on interventions for cervical spine (facet) joint pain from a multispecialty international working group (2022)
●International Headache Society (IHS): International classification of headache disorders, 3rd edition (2018)
●North American Spine Society (NASS): Clinical guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of cervical radiculopathy from degenerative disorders (2010)
Canada
●Choosing Wisely Canada: Don't order neck radiographs in patients who have a negative examination using the Canadian C-spine rules (updated 2021)
●Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration: Clinical practice guideline for the non-pharmacological management of persistent headaches associated with neck pain (2019)
●Canadian Chiropractic Guideline Initiative (CCGI): The treatment of neck pain-associated disorders and whiplash-associated disorders – A clinical practice guideline (2016)
●OPTIMa Collaboration: Clinical practice guideline for the management of neck pain and associated disorders (2016)
United States
●American College of Radiology (ACR)-American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR)-Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR): Practice parameter for the performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head and neck (2002, revised 2023)
●ACR: ACR Appropriateness Criteria on myelopathy, update (2021)
●ACR-ASNR-SPR: Practice parameter for the performance of computed tomography (CT) of the extracranial head and neck (2001, revised 2021)
●American College of Physicians (ACP) and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP): Clinical guideline for nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic management of acute pain from non-low back, musculoskeletal injuries in adults (2020)
●American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP): Comprehensive evidence-based guidelines for facet joint interventions in the management of chronic spinal pain (2020)
●ACR: ACR Appropriateness Criteria on cervical neck pain or cervical radiculopathy (2018)
●American Physical Therapy Association (APTA): Clinical practice guidelines linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health – Neck pain, revision (2017)
●ASIPP: An update of comprehensive evidence-based guidelines for interventional techniques in chronic spinal pain – Introduction and general considerations (2013)
●ASIPP: Comprehensive evidence-based guidelines for interventional techniques in chronic spinal pain – Guidance and recommendations, update (2013)
United Kingdom
●National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE): Interventional procedures guidance for prosthetic intervertebral disc replacement in the cervical spine (2010)
Australia–New Zealand
●Motor Accidents Authority (MAA) of New South Wales (NSW): Guidelines for the management of acute whiplash associated disorders for health professionals, 3rd edition (2014)
Japan
●[In Japanese] Japanese Society of Pain Clinicians (JSPC): Interventional pain treatment guidelines – Non-cancer pain and cancer pain (2024)
●[In Japanese] Japanese Society of Physical Therapy (JSPT): Physical Therapy Guidelines, 2nd edition – Guidelines for physical therapy for cervical dysfunction (2021)
●[In Japanese] Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) and Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related Research (JSSR): Cervical spondylotic myelopathy treatment guidelines, 3rd edition (2020)
●[In Japanese] JSSR, JOA, Neurospinal Society of Japan (NSJ), Japan Neurosurgical Society (JNS): Appropriate use criteria for cervical artificial disc replacement, 6th edition (2020)
