A recent randomized controlled trial published in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies explored the effects of lumbar spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) on pain sensitivity in healthy participants. The study measured changes in pain pressure threshold (PPT), a reliable indicator of pain sensitivity, comparing SMT with a deactivated ultrasound control group.
The findings revealed that SMT significantly increased pain tolerance immediately and 30 minutes after the intervention, while the control group did not experience the same improvement. This suggests SMT can reduce pain sensitivity and provide short-term pain relief, highlighting its potential as a non-invasive, drug-free approach to managing musculoskeletal pain.
These results emphasize the value of chiropractic care for healthcare providers, particularly for patients with low back pain. SMT has demonstrated its ability to reduce pain sensitivity, making it a practical addition to collaborative care plans. Incorporating SMT could help manage acute and chronic pain more effectively while potentially reducing reliance on medications and their associated risks.
“Statistically significant differences were found between the deactivated ultrasound and lumbar SMT groups immediately (p = .05) and 30-minutes (p = .02) following intervention.”
“A right sidelying lumbar manipulation increased PPT at the right PSIS immediately after that lasted to 30- minutes when compared to a deactivated ultrasound control group.”
“Lumbar SMT increases PPT at the ipsilateral PSIS immediately and 30-minutes following treatment in asymptomatic individuals compared to a deactivated ultrasound control group.”
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