Does Spinal Manipulation Improve Back Pain?

June 2, 2017

Short Attention Span Summary

Crack the back
This meta-analysis of 15 studies found that spinal manipulative therapy improved acute back pain and function. Overall, pain was reduced by about 10 on a 100mm visual analog scale. Most harms were minor, transient increases in pain or headache, but there were no major harms reported. Better this than opiates, which are proven not to help acutely.

Spoon Feed
Spinal manipulative therapy is a part of the armamentarium for acute low back pain treatment. Keep in mind, c-spine manipulation is a different thing altogether, with more associated harms.

Source
Association of Spinal Manipulative Therapy With Clinical Benefit and Harm for Acute Low Back Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
JAMA. 2017 Apr 11;317(14):1451-1460. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.3086.