Millions of Americans suffer from lower back pain. Some treatment options that sufferers of lower back pain can try are remaining active, applying heat, taking medication or seeking the help of a healthcare professional, according to the National Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicine. When the pain becomes uncomfortable and disrupts daily living, then an individual might seek the help of a healthcare professional, who in turn may attempt to mitigate the symptoms through spinal manipulation therapy.
A study recently published in The Journal of Pain determined that “spinal manipulation therapy can help lessen pain sensitivity.” The study looked at 110 participants who were recruited from the University of Florida campus. The researchers sought to determine if the lessening of pain felt by the study subjects who received spinal manipulation therapy was from the therapy and not from any placebo effect.
As part of the study, the subjects received baseline pressure and thermal pain testing, and were randomly assigned to receive spinal manipulation therapy, placebo spinal manipulation therapy, enhanced placebo spinal manipulation therapy, or no therapeutic intervention at all. The researchers found that those assigned enhanced placebo spinal manipulation therapy, in which the subjects were informed they would receive standard placebo spinal manipulation therapy or no treatment, had better results than those who received standard placebo spinal manipulation therapy or no treatment.
In a press release, the study’s authors say that the results suggest that spinal manipulation therapy may be a clinically beneficial intervention for lower back pain.