Objective: to increase the eff ectiveness of complex treatment of patients with vertebral thoracalgia (VT) through the diff erential use of manual therapy and kinesiotherapy, depending on the character of neurological signs.

We observed 507 patients with VT. Among them, 368 patients (72.6 %) were included in the main group, where complex treatment was carried out using manual therapy (MT) and kinesiotherapy. There were 128 men (34.8 %), 240 women (65.2 %). The comparison group consisted of 139 patients (27.4 %) who received similar treatment, but without MT and kinesiotherapy. There were 51 men (36.7 %), women — 88 (63.3 %). Groups of patients with VT were comparable in terms of the duration of the disease, the timing of exacerbation, the severity of pain and the limitation of vertebrodynamics.

At the diagnostic phase, all patients were given a detailed vertebral neurological examination according to a specially developed protocol and computed tomography of the spine. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics methods.

As a result of treatment the patients in the main group, where MT was used in complex treatment, 261 patients (70.9 %) were discharged, 75 patients (20.4 %) — with improvement, 29 (7.9 %) — with slight improvement, and only 3 patients (0.8 %) with thoracalgia with autonomicvisceral singns were discharged without improvement. The average bed-day was 13.8 ± 1.9. In the comparison group, the results of treatment were worse: for example, 56 patients (40.3 %) were discharged with a signifi cant improvement, 29 people (20.9 %) — with improvement, with a slight improvement 18 (12.9 %) and 36 patients without improvement (25.9 %). The average duration of inhospital stay was 19.9 ± 1.9.

The use of MT in the complex treatment of patients with VT contributed to increased effi ciency, better recovery of patients and reduced length of stay in the department. The results of complex treatment with the using of MT and kinesiotherapy were better in patients who had VT with muscular-tonic signs.