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The Effect of Combining Spinal Manipulation and Dry Needling in Individuals With Low Back Pain

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Non-specific Low Back Pain
Interventions
Procedure: Spinal manipulation and dry needling
Procedure: Spinal manipulation
Procedure: Dry needling
Registration Number
NCT05802901
Lead Sponsor
University of Utah
Brief Summary

The goal of this study is to enroll and randomize 99 participants with non-specific low back pain into a multimodal strategy of treatment consisting of a combination of dry needling (DN) and spinal manipulation therapy (SMT), DN only, and SMT only, followed by an at home exercise program. All groups will receive their respective treatment twice a week for 2 weeks followed by a 2-week home exercise program. Primary outcomes include clinical subjective (Oswestry Disability Index, numeric pain intensity rating) and mechanistic (lumbar multifidus, erector spinae, and gluteus medius muscle activation) measures assessed at baseline, 1, 2, and 4 weeks. Timepoints at 2-weeks and 4-weeks will be compared to baseline measures to determine effectiveness of the combination group against the other single treatment groups. Exercise compliance will be measured by participants self-reporting adherence to the program by selecting average number of days per week the exercises are completed.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
96
Inclusion Criteria
  • Presence of nonspecific low back pain defined as pain between the twelfth rib and buttocks with or without symptoms into one or both legs
  • Current patient-reported pain rating score greater than 3 based on the numeric pain rating score 0-10 scale
  • Oswestry Disability Index > 20%
Exclusion Criteria
  • Prior surgery to the lumbosacral spine
  • Pregnancy
  • Currently receiving mind-body or exercise treatment for low back pain with a healthcare provider (e.g., chiropractic, physical therapy, massage therapy, etc.)
  • Signs of neurogenic low back pain arising from clinical examination (e.g., positive straight leg raise test, diminished muscle stretch reflex, etc.)
  • Evidence of significant spinal pathology (e.g., spinal fracture, infection, etc.).

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Spinal manipulation and dry needlingSpinal manipulation and dry needlingCombination of spinal manipulation and dry needling of the lumbar spine group
Spinal manipulationSpinal manipulationSpinal manipulation of the lumbar spine only group.
Dry needlingDry needlingDry needling of the symptomatic side of the lumbar spine only group.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Low back pain Oswestry Disability Index Questionnaire at BaselineBaseline

The ODI score is derived from the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, resulting in a score ranging from 0-100 with higher numbers indicating a greater level of disability.

Numeric pain rating scale at 2-weeks2-weeks

Participants were asked to make separate ratings of current pain intensity and the best and worst intensity over the past 24 hours on a 0-10 scale ("0" no pain and "10" worst imaginable pain). The mean of the three ratings was used to represent pain intensity.

Numeric pain rating scale at BaselineBaseline

Participants were asked to make separate ratings of current pain intensity and the best and worst intensity over the past 24 hours on a 0-10 scale ("0" no pain and "10" worst imaginable pain). The mean of the three ratings was used to represent pain intensity.

Low back pain Oswestry Disability Index Questionnaire at 1-week1-week

The ODI score is derived from the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, resulting in a score ranging from 0-100 with higher numbers indicating a greater level of disability.

Low back pain Oswestry Disability Index Questionnaire at 2-weeks2-weeks

The ODI score is derived from the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, resulting in a score ranging from 0-100 with higher numbers indicating a greater level of disability.

Numeric pain rating scale at 4-weeks4-weeks

Participants were asked to make separate ratings of current pain intensity and the best and worst intensity over the past 24 hours on a 0-10 scale ("0" no pain and "10" worst imaginable pain). The mean of the three ratings was used to represent pain intensity.

Numeric pain rating scale at 1-week1-week

Participants were asked to make separate ratings of current pain intensity and the best and worst intensity over the past 24 hours on a 0-10 scale ("0" no pain and "10" worst imaginable pain). The mean of the three ratings was used to represent pain intensity.

Low back pain Oswestry Disability Index Questionnaire at 4-weeks4-weeks

The ODI score is derived from the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, resulting in a score ranging from 0-100 with higher numbers indicating a greater level of disability.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Lumbar multifidus muscle change in thickness at BaselineBaseline

Muscle activation measured by changes in contraction thickness at rest and sub-maximal isometric contraction utilizing diagnostic ultrasound.

Gluteus medius muscle change in thickness at 2-weeks2-weeks

Muscle activation measured by changes in contraction thickness at rest and sub-maximal isometric contraction utilizing diagnostic ultrasound.

Erector spinae muscle change in thickness at 4-weeks4-weeks

Muscle activation measured by changes in contraction thickness at rest and sub-maximal isometric contraction utilizing diagnostic ultrasound.

Lumbar multifidus muscle change in thickness at 2-weeks2-weeks

Muscle activation measured by changes in contraction thickness at rest and sub-maximal isometric contraction utilizing diagnostic ultrasound.

Lumbar multifidus muscle change in thickness at 4-weeks4-weeks

Muscle activation measured by changes in contraction thickness at rest and sub-maximal isometric contraction utilizing diagnostic ultrasound.

Gluteus medius muscle change in thickness at 4-weeks4-weeks

Muscle activation measured by changes in contraction thickness at rest and sub-maximal isometric contraction utilizing diagnostic ultrasound.

Erector spinae muscle change in thickness at BaselineBaseline

Muscle activation measured by changes in contraction thickness at rest and sub-maximal isometric contraction utilizing diagnostic ultrasound.

Gluteus medius muscle change in thickness at BaselineBaseline

Muscle activation measured by changes in contraction thickness at rest and sub-maximal isometric contraction utilizing diagnostic ultrasound.

Erector spinae muscle change in thickness at 2-weeks2-weeks

Muscle activation measured by changes in contraction thickness at rest and sub-maximal isometric contraction utilizing diagnostic ultrasound.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Utah

🇺🇸

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

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