Musculoskeletal Diseases
Conditions
Interventions
Spinal manipulative therapy Symptomatic Intervention
Control Group Symptomatic Control
Spinal Manipulation Asymptomatic Intervention
Control Group Asymptomatic Control
Sponsors
Alan Parkes
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: o Individuals will be required to have completed the letter of informed consent (Appendix E) and sign the letter of information (Appendix E) in order to participate in this study. o Participants between the ages of 18-45 years will be required for this study. Subjects older than 45 years will not be able to participate in the study as Ding (2005) found evidence that knee cartilage defects were far more common in subjects over 45 years of age than those that are younger. o Participants must be older than 18 years old to avoid having to obtain parental permission. o Each participant must present with at least one fixation in the relevant levels (L2-L5) of the lumbar spine as the purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of a lumbar spine manipulation on the muscle activity and joint position sense of the lower limb. Motion palpation of the lumbar spine will be used to determine if there is a fixation in these areas (Bergmann and Peterson 2010). Symptomatic Participants o Low back pain for a duration of three or more months. o Diagnosis of low back pain must be of a mechanical origin. Asymptomatic Participants No history of low back pain or no lower back pain three weeks prior to the study
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: o The eligible participant must not have been adjusted 4 weeks prior to their visit to participate in the study as this may allow for possible effects of previous treatment to alter the outcome of the readings and results o Participants that do not present with fixations in the relevant spinal levels (L2-L5). o Individuals who present with hip, knee, or ankle pain as a result of trauma or surgery (Hurley, Jones and Newham 1994; Hurley 2003). o Participants that have primary or secondary disorders that may compromise normal neurological function (Diabetes Mellitus) (Eliassen 1964) as this may alter results in the study. o Participants who are taking medication that may affect muscle activity (i.e. sedatives and stimulants) (Kruk 2014). o Participants that have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater as this may affect surface EMG readings (Nordander et al. 2003). o Participants will not be a part of the study if they have any contraindications to spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) based on a case history and physical exam (Bergmann and Peterson 2010). This may include, but are not limited to the following: Neurological conditions (cauda equine syndrome, neuropathies) Malignancy (tumour) Vascular (aortic aneurysm, atherosclerosis) Infections (osteomyelitis) Skeletal conditions (osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, fractures) Symptomatic Participants o Participants who present with low back pain due to trauma or structural anomalies. o Low back pain with neurological deficits (muscle weakness, reflex changes) and radiation into the legs. o Previous back surgery o Spinal tumours or infections.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Muscle activity in the asymptomatic participants | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Muscle activity in the symptomatic participants | — |
Countries
South Africa
Contacts
Public ContactLinda Twiggs
Administrative
Outcome results
None listed