Back pain study launched
July 2006Researchers in the Centre for Rehabilitation Science within the Division of Epidemiology and Health Sciences are recruiting low back pain sufferers to test the therapeutic effect of a technique called spinal manipulation.
Spinal manipulation involves putting the back into a certain position and applying a quick thrusting movement, which causes the joint to ‘pop’. It has been widely used to treat low back pain for the last 80 years, and Louise Potter and her team are keen to investigate its actual effects on the muscles around the spine.
They are recruiting 60 people aged 20 to 55 who are currently suffering from low back pain, to take part in painless tests at the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility (WTCRF) on Grafton Street. The team will measure the electrical activity in the superficial spinal muscles when the lumbar spine is manipulated - this is not a painful procedure and if the participant feels any discomfort the experiment can be stopped immediately.
The study will also look at the effect of spinal manipulation on the pain sensation in the muscles close to the spine, by measuring the individual’s pain threshold in these muscles and questioning them on their feelings of pain and altered function.
The experiment will compare the results from people who receive spinal manipulation during four 45-minute visits to the WTCRF, and those who receive a ‘sham’ manipulation. It is hoped that identifying the differences will help explain spinal manipulation’s therapeutic effects.
Louise said: “Low back pain is a very common problem, with many different methods of treatment. Spinal manipulation has been shown to be effective, but it is still not clear what the actual effect of the treatments is.
“Gaining a better understanding of the physiological effects of spinal manipulation will allow practitioners to use the best techniques for each individual.”
To take part in the trial, please contact Louise Potter or Fiona Stirling:
+44 (0)161 276 6946
smartrial@hotmail.com
