Chiropractic Manipulation and Medical Care for Low Back Pain

A Comparison of Chiropractic Manipulation Methods and Standard Medical Care for Low Back Pain

The investigators will be comparing the effectiveness of two types of chiropractic manipulation and standard medical care for patients with a recent onset of low back pain. The two types of chiropractic treatments being compared will be hands-on (manual) manipulation and mechanical-assisted (Activator) manipulation. The standard medical care will consist of a medical examination and prescription for over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age: ≥ 18 years of age
• Ability to read and write English
• Experiencing a new episode of low back pain (LBP) with onset in the past 3 months
• Oswestry Disability Index score between 20-70 points (0-100 scale)
• Numeric pain rating score between 3-8 points (0-10 scale)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Prior history of lumbar spine surgery
• History of unstable spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, or scoliosis > 20°
• Signs or symptoms suggestive of nerve root tension and/or neurological deficit in the lower extremity
• History of metastatic cancer, osteoporosis, long-term corticosteroid use, or any other red flags of serious illness including the following: unexplained weight loss of >10% of body weight, spinal pain associated with fever, and severe night pain unrelieved by medication
• Receiving any physical therapy, chiropractic therapy, or any other manual therapy for this episode of LBP (within the past 3 months)
• Receiving any on-going medical care for this episode of low back pain
• Current use of opiate or other prescription medications for low back pain