An Arlington Texas Chiropractic Report

A new study in the journal Spine suggests some amazing results that have always been known to Chiropractors. Namely, it has been revealed that patients with back pain for at least 6 months experienced greater and sustained improvement by receiving an initial one month (12 treatments) of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) followed by “maintenance” spinal manipulative therapy at a frequency of one visit every other week.

The type of SMT performed was a high velocity|low force technique (HVLF), where the joint was mobilized beyond its restricted range of movement, but within it’s normal range of motion.

The study followed 93 patients, ages 20-60 years of age, who had unspecific and chronic low back pain lasting 6 months or more. All patients came from a hospital-based outpatient rheumatolgy and rehabilitation clinic.

The patients were divided into 3 groups:

1. One group was a control group that received only “sham” SMT.

2. One group received only the initial month (12 visits) of the real SMT “without maintenance” followup.

3. And, one group received both the initial month (12 visits) of real SMT, plus nine months of “maintenance” SMT at an interval of one visit every other week.

Patients in all 3 treatment groups were also instructed on a core pelvic-tilt range of motion exercise to be performed after each SMT (10 times) and at home (30 times) between visits.

Basically, the patients in the sham SMT group reported significantly less improvement than either of the real SMT groups, with return to pre-treatment pain levels following the end of treatment.

Additionally, the SMT “without maintenance” group reported a gradual return to pre-treatment pain levels at the 4th and 7th month re-evaluation visits.

However, the pain scores in the “maintained” SMT group continued to improve throughout care.

This study clearly demonstrates the efficacy of SMT followed by maintenance care in the treatment and continued reduction of chronic low back pain.