Assessment of Chiropractic Treatment: Strength and Balance
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Low Back Pain
- Sponsor
- Ian Coulter
- Enrollment
- 110
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Isometric muscle strength test using force transducer
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 7 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
This study is a randomized controlled trial designed to compare the effects of 4 weeks of chiropractic care to a waitlist control group on measures of strength, balance, and endurance in military personnel experiencing non-surgical low back pain.
Detailed Description
This study will assess three functional outcomes (strength, balance and endurance) and patient-reported outcomes in participants with low back pain (LBP) treated with chiropractic care, providing evidence that may enhance our understanding of the relationship between functional outcomes and chiropractic care. The findings from this study may support the use of chiropractic care for military personnel as an effective, conservative treatment for low back pain that may also help preserve or improve functional outcomes and thus, allow active duty personnel to better perform the physical demands required of them.
Investigators
Ian Coulter
Principal Investigator
RAND
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Age range 18 - ≤ 40, inclusive
- •Able to provide written informed consent
- •Self-reported acute, subacute or chronic LBP at initial screen and baseline visit
- •Pain intensity of ≥ 2 on NRS within the past 24 hours.
- •Active duty status
Exclusion Criteria
- •Any chiropractic care within 30 days of informed consent
- •Any LBP confirmed or suspected to arise from a visceral source
- •Spinal pathology or any other condition(s) contraindicating SM
- •LBP for which specific treatments outside those available within study parameters are indicated
- •Any spinal fracture within the past 6 months
- •Any spinal surgery within the past 6 months
- •LBP with positive neurologic signs indicating spinal nerve root compression, or LBP with presumptive or confirmed spinal nerve root compression
- •Imaging evidence of neuroforaminal or spinal canal stenosis or the clinical presentation of neurogenic claudication
- •Chronic pain syndrome diagnosis
- •Diagnosis or suspected systemic inflammatory arthropathy of the spine
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Isometric muscle strength test using force transducer
Time Frame: Baseline and week 4
During the isometric muscle strength test, participants will first be placed in a safety harness and instructed into a proper lifting position. Participants will then be instructed to pull up (with gradually increasing effort levels) against a handle attached to a force transducer with a metallic chain. Participants will be instructed to immediately stop pulling on the handle if they experience any increased discomfort. The maximum pulling force recorded during the 3 tests will be used for data analysis, and these measurements will be taken at the first and last study visit. The outcome will be the change in strength following the 4-week intervention period.
Secondary Outcomes
- One-Leg Standing Test (Stork test) via computer-activated timer(Baseline and week 4)
- Stopwatch-timed trunk muscle endurance assessment (Biering-Sorensen test)(Baseline and week 4)