None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Chronic widespread pain (CWP), such as fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome, is a significant and growing challenge to our health delivery system. Cost-effective approaches to management are imperative to the sustainability of our future health care system. Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is a cost-effective and widely employed manual intervention in the treatment of a variety of musculoskeletal pain conditions; however, its physiologic mechanisms and clinical application in the management of CWP are still unclear. Our aim in this study is to investigate the effect of SMT on musculoskeletal (myofascial) pain. Specifically, we are investigating whether SMT will evoke decreased pain in systematic patterns within myofascial tissues.
Interventions
Intervention performed was spinal manipulative therapy (SMT). SMT was performed on one occasion (duration 1 hour) by a chiropractic physician with over 17 years of experience in the procedure. Participants were instructed to lay supine during the manipulation procedure(s) with the head resting on a mechanical ‘drop headpiece’, which is designed to increase the acceleration of the manual thrust. Participants assigned to the “manipulation” group received a bilateral rotary manipulation targetin
Intervention performed was spinal manipulative therapy (SMT). SMT was performed on one occasion (duration 1 hour) by a chiropractic physician with over 17 years of experience in the procedure. Participants were instructed to lay supine during the manipulation procedure(s) with the head resting on a mechanical ‘drop headpiece’, which is designed to increase the acceleration of the manual thrust. Participants assigned to the “manipulation” group received a bilateral rotary manipulation targeting the C5-C6 segment. This procedure initially involves preloading the target tissues by inducing mild flexion, lateral flexion and rotation (<40 degrees) of the cervical spine. A high velocity low amplitude rotary thrust (< 10 degrees) was then manually applied through the C5-C6 spinal segment with the contact hand. The head and neck was then returned to the neutral position. A palpable cavitation confirmed successful administration of the procedure.
Sponsors
University of Guelph
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
clinically identifiable myofascial trigger point (active or latent) within the right infraspinatus and right gluteus medius muscles.
Exclusion criteria
Conditions that could affect normal somatosensory processing within the cervical spine segments. Including serious medical conditions (eg cancer), central or peripheral neurologic conditions, recent acute injury to cervical spine (eg whiplash), medication use.
Outcome results
None listed