Effect of Spinal Manipulation on Experimental Pain in Asymptomatic Subjects.

Institut Franco Europeen de Chiropratique

Status: Completed

Conditions: Spinal Manipulation

Treatments: Other: Sham procedure; Other: Spinal manipulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03776708

InstitutFEC

Details and patient eligibility

About

Spinal manipulation is often used for its effect on pain, but more information is needed concerning its mechanisms of action.

Full description

The effect of spinal manipulation on the pressure pain threshold in asymptomatic subjects should be challenged by a validated sham procedure, regionally and remotely over time. Further information is needed concerning its duration and its size.

Research questions:

1. What is the regional effect of spinal manipulation on the pressure pain threshold in asymptomatic subjects, when compared to a valid sham procedure?
2. What is the remote effect of spinal manipulation on the pressure pain threshold in asymptomatic subjects, when compared to a valid sham procedure?
3. What is the duration of the effect of spinal manipulation on the pressure pain threshold in asymptomatic subjects?
4. What is the size of the effect of spinal manipulation on the pressure pain threshold in asymptomatic subjects over time?

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 30 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• The subjects must be young (18-30 years old)
• asymptomatic (no pain in the tested area, but the study accepts pain elsewhere, as long as it is less than 1/10 on the BOX-scale).
• Chiropractic students.

Exclusion criteria

• The subjects must not be reporting any spinal pain lasting more than a month
• and/or having taken painkillers 24h prior to the study.
• Contra-indications to the spinal manipulation (instability, fracture, malformation, bone or ligament fragility, and inflammations).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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50 participants in 2 patient groups

Spinal manipulation

Experimental group

Description:

The spinal manipulation is located between the fifth and eighth thoracic vertebrae, on a level and a side pain-free to a light palpation. The maneuver is of high velocity and low amplitude, oriented posterior to anterior, on the transverse process area of the chosen thoracic vertebrae.

Treatment:

Other: Spinal manipulation

Sham procedure

Sham Comparator group

Description:

The sham procedure is a manual contact on both inferior angles of the scapulae by the chiropractor. After a short tensioning, a slight movement with low velocity and low amplitude is done, respecting scapula-thoracic sliding plans laterally, without repercussion on the spine. It is considered by us to be a "credible" sham procedure, as it resembles an actual act of thoracic manipulation, and it has been validated, with questionnaires.

Treatment:

Other: Sham procedure