Ultrasound Evaluation of the Effect of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment on Sacral Base Asymmetry

The proposed prospective, randomized, controlled trial will investigate the effect of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) on sacral base asymmetry as assessed by ultrasound. The study will be conducted between July 2016 - June 2017 with data collection planned for August and September 2016. Forty men and women ages 20 to 55 years with at least one or more episodes of LBP in the past two weeks will be recruited from the Kirksville area. Participants will be randomly assigned into two groups, control or OMT using a random number generator. Males and females will be randomized separately to ensure equal distribution into the two study groups. Demographics including sex, age, and body mass index (BMI) will be collected on all participants. All participants will complete a brief medical history questionnaire, receive an initial palpatory assessment of the sacral base asymmetry, and then an initial ultrasound evaluation of sacral base asymmetry. After the ultrasound assessment, the control group will wait in another room for approximately 30 minutes. Participants in the OMT group will receive OMT to address sacral base asymmetry after the initial ultrasound assessment. Following the treatment period for the OMT group, all participants will receive a second ultrasound assessment of sacral base asymmetry. The ultrasonographer will be blinded on whether the subject received an OMT or not. After the second ultrasound measurement, the participants in the control group will be offered an OMT treatment consistent with that of the OMT group.