Spinal manipulation therapy isn’t routinely recommended as the initial treatment for low back pain, but a research review suggests this approach may work as well as interventions that doctors typically prescribe first.
Based on data from 47 previously conducted trials involving a total of 9,211 mostly middle-aged adults, spinal manipulation eased lower back pain as much as exercise, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and painkillers. Spinal manipulation also appeared better for improving short-term function.“At the moment, spinal manipulation is considered a second-line or adjunctive treatment option in international guidelines,” said lead study author Sidney Rubinstein of the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.
