"For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: Know more today about the world then I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far that gets you"
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Below is a short list of some of evolving research that provides guidance in the ability and limitations of manual therapy.
Knowledge is never static. Structure & Function strives to ensure honesty and validity to prescribed treatment protocols by ensuring that we never stop exploring current literature to serve our patients with cutting edge research.
Low Back Pain-
"MANUAL THRUST MANIPULATION PROVIDES GREATER SHORT-TERM REDUCTIONS IN SELF-REPORTED DISABILITY AND PAIN SCORES COMPARED TO USUAL MEDICAL CARE OR MECHANICAL-ASSISTED MANIPULATION."
Schneider M, Haas M, Glick R, Stevans J, Landsittel D. A comparison of spinal manipulation methods and usual medical care for acute and sub-acute low back pain: a randomized clinical trial. Spine. 2015 Feb 15;40(4):209.
"CONCLUSION. MANUAL THRUST MANIPULATION PROVIDES GREATER SHORT-TERM REDUCTIONS IN SELF REPORTED DISABILITY AND PAIN SCORES COMPARED WITH USUAL MEDICAL CARE OR MECHANICALLY ASSISTED MANIPULATION."
Michael Schneider DC, Mitchell Haas DC, Ronald Glick MD, Joel Stevans DC, Landsittel D. Comparison of Spinal Manipulation Methods and Usual Medical Care for Acute and Subacute Low Back Pain. SPINE. 2015;40(4):209-17.
Mid back/Thoracic Spine Pain-
"THORACIC SPINE MANIPULATION CAN DECREASE EXPERIENCED PAIN IN THE THE THORACIC SPINE AREA. MOREOVER THORACIC SPINE MOBILITY AND EXPERIENCED STATE OF HEALTH IMPROVED AS WELL"
Takatalo J, Leinonen T, Rytkönen M, Häkkinen A, Ylinen J. The effect of thoracic spine manipulation on thoracic spine pain and mobility–Preliminary results of RCT. Manual Therapy. 2016 Sep 1;25:e161.
Neck/ Cervical Pain-
"OUR REVIEW ADDS NEW EVIDENCE TO THE NECK PAIN TASK FORCE AND SUGGESTS THAT MOBILIZATION, MANIPULATION, AND CLINICAL MASSAGE ARE EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF NECK PAIN. IT ALSO SUGGESTS THAT ELECTROACUPUNCTURE, STRAIN-COUNTERSTRAIN, RELAXATION MASSAGE, AND SOME PASSIVE PHYSICAL MODALITIES (HEAT, COLD, DIATHERMY, HYDROTHERAPY, AND ULTRASOUND) ARE NOT EFFECTIVE AND SHOULD NOT BE USED TO MANAGE NECK PAIN."
Wong JJ, Shearer HM, Mior S, Jacobs C, Côté P, Randhawa K, Yu H, Southerst D, Varatharajan S, Sutton D, van der Velde G. Are manual therapies, passive physical modalities, or acupuncture effective for the management of patients with whiplash-associated disorders or neck pain and associated disorders? An update of the Bone and Joint Decade Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders by the OPTIMa Collaboration. The Spine Journal. 2015 Dec 17.
"OF 27 IDENTIFIED TRIALS, 18 WERE OF HIGH QUALITY. IN ACUTE NECK PAIN, EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS WERE THORACIC MANIPULATION COMBINED WITH ELECTROTHERMALTHERAPY IN THE SHORT TERM AND CERVICAL MANIPULATION IN THE LONG TERM. IN CHRONIC NECK PAIN AND NECK PAIN OF VARIABLE DURATION, BOTH PAIN AND FUNCTION IMPROVED CONSISTENTLY AT ALL FOLLOW-UP TIME POINTS. NONE OF THE MANUAL THERAPIES USED ALONE OR IN COMBINATION WAS SUPERIOR OVER THE OTHERS. IN THE LONG TERM, EXERCISES ALONE OR COMBINED WITH MANUAL THERAPIES WERE SUPERIOR OVER MANUAL THERAPIES USED ALONE."
Vincent K, Maigne JY, Fischhoff C, Lanlo O, Dagenais S. Systematic review of manual therapies for nonspecific neck pain. Joint Bone Spine. 2013 Oct 31;80(5):508-15.
"SPINAL MANIPULATION WAS FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR ACUTE AND SUBACUTE NECK PAIN. EFFECTIVENESS WAS ALSO FOUND FOR ACUTE WHIPLASH WHEN SPINAL MANIPULATION IS COMBINED WITH EXERCISE. SPINAL MANIPULATION WAS SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR CHRONIC NECK PAIN WHEN COMBINED WITH EXERCISE.13 "
LeFebvre R, Peterson D, Haas M. Evidence-based practice and chiropractic care. Journal of evidence-based complementary & alternative medicine. 2013;18(1):75-9
"THERE IS MODERATE-TO-HIGH QUALITY EVIDENCE THAT IMMEDIATE CLINICALLY IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENTS ARE OBTAINED FROM A SINGLE SESSION OF SPINAL MANIPULATION. "
Vernon H, Humphreys BK. Chronic mechanical neck pain in adults treated by manual therapy: a systematic review of change scores in randomized controlled trials of a single session. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy. 2013 Jul 18.
"RECENTLY, AN INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY TASK FORCE ENDORSED MANIPULATION AS ONE OF SEVERAL FIRSTLINE TREATMENTS FOR NECK PAIN, WHIPLASH, AND RELATED HEADACHES BASED ON A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIALS OF INTERVENTIONS AND RESEARCH ON ADVERSE EVENTS."
Cassidy JD, Bronfort G, Hartvigsen J. Should we abandon cervical spine manipulation for mechanical neck pain? No. Bmj. 2012 Jun 7;344:e3680.
Head Aches-
"SEVEN OF THE 10 STUDIES HAD STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS THAT SUBJECTS WHO RECEIVED MOBILIZATION OR MANIPULATION INTERVENTIONS EXPERIENCED IMPROVED OUTCOMES OR REPORTED FEWER SYMPTOMS THAN CONTROL SUBJECTS. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT MOBILIZATION OR MANIPULATION OF THE CERVICAL SPINE MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO SUFFER FROM CERVICOGENIC HEADACHE"
Garcia JD, Arnold S, Tetley K, Voight K, Frank RA. Mobilization and Manipulation of the Cervical Spine in Patients with Cervicogenic Headache: Any Scientific Evidence?. Frontiers in neurology. 2016;7.
"THE RESULTS SUGGEST PATIENTS WITH TENSION TYPE HEADACHES RECEIVING MANUAL THERAPIES SHOWED BETTER PROGRESS THAN THOSE RECEIVING CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT OR PLACEBO"
López CL, Jiménez JM, de la Hoz Aizpurua JL, Grande JP, de las Peñas CF. Efficacy of manual therapy in the treatment of tension-type headache. A systematic review from 2000 to 2013. Neurología (English Edition). 2016 Jun 7.
"THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY SUPPORT PREVIOUS RESULTS SHOWING THAT SOME PEOPLE REPORT SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN MIGRAINES AFTER CHIROPRACTIC SPINAL MANIPULATIVE THERAPY"
Tuchin PJ, Pollard H, Bonello R. A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine. Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics. 2000 Feb 29;23(2):91-5.
Extremity Pain-
"EFFECTIVENESS WAS FOUND FOR SHOULDER GIRDLE PAIN, ADHESIVE CAPSULITIS, LATERAL EPICONDYLITIS, HIP AND KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS, PATELLOFEMORAL PAIN SYNDROME, AND PLANTAR FASCIITIS. INCONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE IN A FAVORABLE DIRECTION WAS OBSERVED FOR ROTATOR CUFF PAIN, SHOULDER PAIN, CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME, ANKLE SPRAINS, MORTON’S NEUROMA, HALLUX LIMITUS, AND HALLUX ABDUCTOR VALGUS."
LeFebvre R, Peterson D, Haas M. Evidence-based practice and chiropractic care. Journal of evidence-based complementary & alternative medicine. 2013;18(1):75-9.
"THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE USE OF MANUAL THERAPY FOR NON-SPECIFIC SHOULDER PAIN AND ANKLE SPRAINS"
Southerst D, Yu H, Randhawa K, Côté P, D’Angelo K, Shearer HM, Wong JJ, Sutton D, Varatharajan S, Goldgrub R, Dion S. The effectiveness of manual therapy for the management of musculoskeletal disorders of the upper and lower extremities: a systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration. Chiropractic & manual therapies. 2015 Oct 27;23(1):1.
"The patients with Plantar Digital Neuralgia (Morton's Neuroma) who were included in this case series improved with conservative care that included only foot manipulation."
Cashley DG, Cochrane L. Manipulation in the Treatment of Plantar Digital Neuralgia: A Retrospective Study of 38 Cases. Journal of chiropractic medicine. 2015 Jun 30;14(2):90-8.