Patient-centered outcomes of high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation for low back pain: A systematic review

The Within-Session Change in Low Back Pain Intensity Following Spinal Manipulative Therapy Is Related to Differences in Diffusion of Water in the Intervertebral Discs of the Upper Lumbar Spine and L5-S1

“…12,20,22,50 A large body of research has generally supported efficacy and effectiveness of SMT for the treatment of LBP, with overall effect-size improvements in pain following SMT that are typically modest when compared to placebo treatment or to no treatment at all. 16,19,33,[36][37][38]42,55,59,62 These findings suggest a heterogeneous response between patients receiving SMT. One cause for this variation may be explained by differences in water diffusion within the lumbar IVD.…”

“…We chose to investigate this treatment because SMT is frequently used by physical therapists and others to treat patients with LBP, it has a low risk of adverse events, and some (but not all) patients are likely to have favorable within-session responses to this treatment. 12,16,25,31,36,37,39,45,47,62 SMT is performed by applying 1 or more shortamplitude, high-velocity thrusts at various angles to the spine and/or pelvis of a prepositioned patient. 47 It is hypothesized, but not definitely proven, that these thrusts create a stimulus to spinal tissues that may result in analgesia.…”

The Effect of Cervical Spine Manipulation on Postural Sway in Patients With Nonspecific Neck Pain

“…The mechanisms underlying this technique however, are still being explored. Recently, cervical spine manipulation to individuals with neck pain has been shown to be effective in reducing pain levels both locally and in peripheral sites (45)(46)(47). Functional improvements observed following application of cervical spine manipulation include increased force production, improved recruitment of inhibited musculature (48)(49)(50) and improved kinaesthetic performance (51,52).…”

“…While the exact mechanisms responsible for the neurophysiological effects of HVLA spinal manipulation are still to be determined, the extent of the changes associated with the technique has been shown to be extensive. Recent studies suggest that, in addition to the findings discussed above, 46 cervical spine manipulation may also be capable of influencing supraspinal processing of sensory input and improve functional performance of individuals with neck pain.…”

Analysis of the NPT effect in women with chronic LBP: a pilot study

“…This scale evaluates the level of pain intensity perceived by the patient using a horizontal scale of 100 millimeters (0 = no pain, 100 = worst imaginable pain), where the patient reports the degree of LBP during the evaluation. The numerical scale of pain has an excellent metric property, it is easy to apply and punctuate and it has been widely used in researches in LBP (9) .…”