A Follow-up Comparison of Active Versus Passive Manual Therapy in Patients With Low Back Pain

St. Ambrose University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Education; Manual Therapy; Low Back Pain

Treatments: Other: Manual Therapy with Traditional Biomechanical Explanation; Other: Manual Therapy with Neuroplastiicity Explanation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03758807

StAmbroseUactive passive

Details and patient eligibility

About

To determine if there is any carry over difference between the type of education provided about common treatment techniques for patients with low back pain. This will be looked at right after treatment and when patients return on their second visit after they do a common exercise program for a few days.

Full description

Prior clinical trials have shown that patients respond differently to different explanations about interventions performed. A recent randomized clinical trial demonstrated that a 10-minute manual therapy treatment (prone lumbar Posterior to Anterior mobilization (PA's) with a neuroplasticity vs. traditional biomechanical explanation) produced an immediate, significant improvement in straight leg raise (SLR) and pain for patients with chronic low back pain. However, there is a need to examine whether there is any carry over (48-96 hours) or if utilizing a home exercise program (HEP), aimed at increasing the various sensory process applied in the clinic, produces any carry over. This will be looked at in patients with who are provided different explanations about common back treatment techniques to see if there will be any change in pain rating or back and leg movement.

Enrollment: 102 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• adults over the age of 18
• patients presenting at PT with a primary complaint of LBP
• LBP being present for 6 months or more
• fluent in English
• willing to participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

• under age 18
• not able to read/understand the English language
• prisoners
• no medical issues precluding physical therapy treatment (red flags)
• no medical precautions to the use of manual therapy (metal, skin lesions, etc.)
• prior spine surgery
• unable to lay prone for the treatment

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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102 participants in 2 patient groups

Passive treatment

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Passive treatment will consist of Manual Therapy with biomechanical explanation of the technique.

Treatment:

Other: Manual Therapy with Traditional Biomechanical Explanation

Active Treatment

Experimental group

Description:

Active treatment will consist of Manual Therapy with a neuroplasticity explanation of the technique.

Treatment:

Other: Manual Therapy with Neuroplastiicity Explanation