None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Ambulance personnel play a vital role in keeping our communities safe, but their work is physically and emotionally demanding. They are regularly exposed to stressful and traumatic situations, and the heavy lifting required in their jobs puts them at high risk of spinal pain. Chiropractic care is a non-drug, hands-on approach that may help both spinal pain and stress by influencing the way the brain and nervous system process information.This study is looking at how chiropractic care might help ambulance personnel who experience spinal pain and work-related stress.
Interventions
Chiropractic Intervention:
Due to the pragmatic nature of the study, the chiropractic group will receive six weeks (2-3 visits per week) of chiropractic intervention and each session will take around 15 minutes.
The entire spine and both sacroiliac joints will be assessed for vertebral subluxations and adjusted where deemed necessary by an experienced chiropractor of minimum 10 years’ experience. The clinical indicators of vertebral subluxations include tenderness to palpation of the relevant jo
Chiropractic Intervention: Due to the pragmatic nature of the study, the chiropractic group will receive six weeks (2-3 visits per week) of chiropractic intervention and each session will take around 15 minutes. The entire spine and both sacroiliac joints will be assessed for vertebral subluxations and adjusted where deemed necessary by an experienced chiropractor of minimum 10 years’ experience. The clinical indicators of vertebral subluxations include tenderness to palpation of the relevant joints, manual palpation for restricted intersegmental range of motion, palpable asymmetric intervertebral muscle tension, and any abnormal or blocked joint play and end-feel of the joints. Chiropractic intervention will involve high-velocity low-amplitude thrusts to sites deemed to have vertebral subluxations as identified using the indicators above. Adherence will be assessed via session attendance and intervention fidelity. Attendance will be recorded for all scheduled sessions, and adherence calculated as the percentage of sessions attended. Chiropractors will complete a standardised data collection sheet to document assessment findings and sites of vertebral subluxation adjusted.
Sponsors
New Zealand College of Chiropractic
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
No
Inclusion criteria
-Participants must be 18 years of age or older. -Participants must currently work as frontline ambulance staff (e.g., paramedics, ambulance officers, emergency medical technicians, or similar roles involving emergency response and patient care). -Participants must experience ongoing spinal pain in the lower back or pelvis. The pain must have been present for at least three months at some point within the past year (i.e., chronic pain). -Participants must not have a known medical diagnosis explaining their spinal pain (e.g., fracture, infection, cancer, or inflammatory disease). -Participants must experience stress, anxiety, or low mood. They must be willing to complete the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), with scores falling within the required range (Depression: 14–27, Anxiety: 10–19, or Stress: 19–33). -Participants must be willing and able to attend all study sessions and complete the required assessments. -Participants must be able to provide written informed consent prior to participation.
Exclusion criteria
-Participants with a current pain level greater than 7/10 on a visual analogue scale (VAS). -Participants with any contraindications to chiropractic adjustments (e.g., recent spinal fractures, inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, or a recent history of cancer). -Participants with any neurological disorder (e.g., stroke or seizures). -Participants with a recent head injury accompanied by ongoing symptoms. -Participants with metal implants in the head. -Participants with severe psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia). -Participants experiencing acute pain or a serious injury requiring urgent medical care. -Participants with substance use disorders (ongoing problems related to alcohol or drug misuse). -Participants with major health conditions (e.g., heart disease). -Participants with a history of aggressive behaviour, suicidal ideation, or difficulty cooperating.
Outcome results
None listed