Search

Objectives : The long-term goal of our study is to improve the understanding of the biological mechanisms associated with spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) in low back pain. Methods : This project involved a pilot randomized, blinded clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT03078114) of 3-week SMT in chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNSLBP) patients. We recruited 29 participants and randomly assigned them into either a SMT ( n = 14) or sham SMT ( n = 15) group. Pre- and postintervention, we quantified the effect of SMT on clinical outcomes (Numeric Pain Rating Scale and Oswestry Disability Index) and pressure pain threshold (PPT) at local (lumbar spine), regional (lower extremity), and remote (upper extremity) anatomical sites. Results : We observed a significant main effect for time signifying reduced hypersensitivity (increased PPT) at local ( p = .015) and regional ( p = .014) locations at 3 weeks. Furthermore, we found significant main effects of time indicating improvements in pain ( p < .001) and disability ( p = .02) from baseline among all participants regardless of intervention. However, no between-group differences were observed in PPT, clinical pain, or disability between the SMT and sham SMT groups over 3 weeks. Conclusions : After 3 weeks of SMT or sham SMT in CNSLBP patients, we found hypoalgesia at local and remote sites along with improved pain and low back-related disability. Level of Evidence : 1b.

Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) facilitates collaborative health practice, improving clinical outcomes., Objective: Explore physical therapy (PT) students' observations about chiropractic, including attitudes amongst distinctive PT programs., Methods: We administered a 74-item electronic survey, including 12 attitudinal items comprising the chiropractic attitude questionnaire (CAQ), to PT students at two universities. PT students at University 2 interacted with faculty members who were chiropractors, while PT students at University 1 did not interrelate with faculty members who were chiropractors., Results: Mean CAQ score for University 1 was 35.92 (SD ± 5.62), while the mean CAQ score for University 2 was 40.67 (SD ± 5.34) indicating a significant mean difference of 4.75 (SE ± 0.89) points (P ≤ 0.001)., Discussion: Our results suggest that interprofessional interaction may improve attitudes amongst PT students., Conclusions: PT students exposed to chiropractors via interprofessional interaction demonstrated a more positive attitude toward the chiropractic profession., Competing Interests: The authors have no disclaimers, competing interests, or sources of support or funding to report in the preparation of this manuscript.

The primary purpose of this case report is to outline the diagnosis, intervention and clinical outcome of a patient presenting with occipital neuralgia. Upon initial presentation, the patient described a four-year history of stabbing neck pain and headaches. After providing informed consent, the patient underwent a total of four dry needling (DN) sessions over a two-week duration. During each of the treatment sessions, needles were inserted into the trapezii and suboccipital muscles. Post-intervention, the patient reported a 32-point change in her neck disability index score along with a 28-point change in her headache disability index score. Thus, it appears that subsequent four sessions of DN over two weeks, our patient experienced meaningful improvement in her neck pain and headaches. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report describing DN to successfully improve clinical outcomes in a patient diagnosed with occipital neuralgia.