Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Chronic Lower Back Pain in Older Veterans
Introduction: Chronic lower back pain (CLBP) is problematic in older veterans. Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is commonly utilized for CLBP in older adults, yet there are few randomized placebo-controlled trials evaluating SMT. Methods: The purpose of the study was to compare the effectiveness of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2014-12-01
|
| Series: | Geriatric Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/2151458514544956 |
| _version_ | 1818622958701117440 |
|---|---|
| author | Paul E. Dougherty DC Jurgis Karuza PhD Andrew S. Dunn DC, MEd, MS Dorian Savino MPA Paul Katz MD |
| author_facet | Paul E. Dougherty DC Jurgis Karuza PhD Andrew S. Dunn DC, MEd, MS Dorian Savino MPA Paul Katz MD |
| author_sort | Paul E. Dougherty DC |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Chronic lower back pain (CLBP) is problematic in older veterans. Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is commonly utilized for CLBP in older adults, yet there are few randomized placebo-controlled trials evaluating SMT. Methods: The purpose of the study was to compare the effectiveness of SMT to a sham intervention on pain (Visual Analogue Scale, SF-36 pain subscale), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), and physical function (SF-36 subscale, Timed Up and Go) by performing a randomized placebo-controlled trial at 2 Veteran Affairs Clinics. Results: Older veterans (≥ 65 years of age) who were naive to chiropractic were recruited. A total of 136 were included in the study with 69 being randomly assigned to SMT and 67 to sham intervention. Patients were treated 2 times per week for 4 weeks assessing outcomes at baseline, 5, and 12 weeks postbaseline. Both groups demonstrated significant decrease in pain and disability at 5 and 12 weeks. At 12 weeks, there was no significant difference in pain and a statistically significant decline in disability scores in the SMT group when compared to the sham intervention group. There were no significant differences in adverse events between the groups. Conclusions: The SMT did not result in greater improvement in pain when compared to our sham intervention; however, SMT did demonstrate a slightly greater improvement in disability at 12 weeks. The fact that patients in both groups showed improvements suggests the presence of a nonspecific therapeutic effect. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T18:33:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a2bbcf132ea24245af0158bdd21dc4ed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2151-4585 2151-4593 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T18:33:26Z |
| publishDate | 2014-12-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geriatric Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation |
| spelling | doaj.art-a2bbcf132ea24245af0158bdd21dc4ed2022-12-21T22:21:14ZengSAGE PublishingGeriatric Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation2151-45852151-45932014-12-01510.1177/2151458514544956Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Chronic Lower Back Pain in Older VeteransPaul E. Dougherty DC0Jurgis Karuza PhD1Andrew S. Dunn DC, MEd, MS2Dorian Savino MPA3Paul Katz MD4University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USAState University of New York College at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USAVA Western New York Healthcare System, Buffalo, NY, USACanandaigua Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Canandaigua, NY, USABaycrest Geriatric Centre, Toronto, CanadaIntroduction: Chronic lower back pain (CLBP) is problematic in older veterans. Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is commonly utilized for CLBP in older adults, yet there are few randomized placebo-controlled trials evaluating SMT. Methods: The purpose of the study was to compare the effectiveness of SMT to a sham intervention on pain (Visual Analogue Scale, SF-36 pain subscale), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), and physical function (SF-36 subscale, Timed Up and Go) by performing a randomized placebo-controlled trial at 2 Veteran Affairs Clinics. Results: Older veterans (≥ 65 years of age) who were naive to chiropractic were recruited. A total of 136 were included in the study with 69 being randomly assigned to SMT and 67 to sham intervention. Patients were treated 2 times per week for 4 weeks assessing outcomes at baseline, 5, and 12 weeks postbaseline. Both groups demonstrated significant decrease in pain and disability at 5 and 12 weeks. At 12 weeks, there was no significant difference in pain and a statistically significant decline in disability scores in the SMT group when compared to the sham intervention group. There were no significant differences in adverse events between the groups. Conclusions: The SMT did not result in greater improvement in pain when compared to our sham intervention; however, SMT did demonstrate a slightly greater improvement in disability at 12 weeks. The fact that patients in both groups showed improvements suggests the presence of a nonspecific therapeutic effect.https://doi.org/10.1177/2151458514544956 |
| spellingShingle | Paul E. Dougherty DC Jurgis Karuza PhD Andrew S. Dunn DC, MEd, MS Dorian Savino MPA Paul Katz MD Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Chronic Lower Back Pain in Older Veterans Geriatric Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation |
| title | Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Chronic Lower Back Pain in Older Veterans |
| title_full | Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Chronic Lower Back Pain in Older Veterans |
| title_fullStr | Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Chronic Lower Back Pain in Older Veterans |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Chronic Lower Back Pain in Older Veterans |
| title_short | Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Chronic Lower Back Pain in Older Veterans |
| title_sort | spinal manipulative therapy for chronic lower back pain in older veterans |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/2151458514544956 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pauledoughertydc spinalmanipulativetherapyforchroniclowerbackpaininolderveterans AT jurgiskaruzaphd spinalmanipulativetherapyforchroniclowerbackpaininolderveterans AT andrewsdunndcmedms spinalmanipulativetherapyforchroniclowerbackpaininolderveterans AT doriansavinompa spinalmanipulativetherapyforchroniclowerbackpaininolderveterans AT paulkatzmd spinalmanipulativetherapyforchroniclowerbackpaininolderveterans |