A study found that spinal manipulation could ease back pain. Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons why people go to the doctor and is also a common reason why doctors prescribe powerful and possibly addicting narcotics.
The research, which was published
A study found that spinal manipulation could ease back pain. Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons why people go to the doctor and is also a common reason why doctors prescribe powerful and possibly addicting narcotics.
The research, which was published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was conducted to analyze whether the use of spinal manipulative therapy in the management of acute lower back pain was associated with improvements in pain.
Researchers analyzed data from 26 studies that involved over 1,700 patients with lower back pain. The investigation concluded that spinal manipulation could, in fact, reduce lower back pain.
Spinal manipulation therapy can improve pain for patients with lower-back pain
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH) describes spinal manipulation as one of the several options that can provide mild-to-moderate relief from lower back pain. It is typically performed by chiropractors, osteopathic physicians or physical therapists, and it consists of applying pressure and moving joints in the spine of the patient.
According to NIH, back pain affects 8 of 10 people at some point in their lives, and the lower back area is often most affected. The NIH explains that spinal manipulation is relatively safe when performed by a trained and licensed practitioner, and side effects can include feeling tired or temporary soreness.
NIH adds that cauda equina syndrome (CES), which consists of a narrowing of the lower part of the spinal canal that causes nerves becoming pinched and causing, weakness, and loss of feeling in one or both legs, can be an exceedingly rare complication of spinal manipulation therapy. However, it is unclear whether there’s a direct link between CES and spinal manipulation, as CES can still occur without any treatment being performed on a patient.
Patients who received spinal manipulation experienced a decline of 1 point in their pain scale, according to Dr. Paul Shekelle, internist at West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and lead author of the study.
“So if it had been a 7 it would be a 6, or if it had been a 5 it would be a 4,” said Shekelle, according to NPR.
That pain relief is around the same amount of aid provided from NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen.
The study found that spinal manipulation improved function modestly in some patients. Some patients reported greater ease and comfort when receiving the therapy, such as being able to walk faster, and experiencing less discomfort when turning in bed or sleeping.
Spinal manipulation is preferred to prescribing opioids medicines
However, according to Dr. Richard Deyo, a professor at the Oregon Health and Science University, spinal manipulation can reposition the small joints in the spine in a way that causes less pain. Deyo wrote an editorial that was published along with the study.
Deyo adds that spinal manipulation can restore s