• Jun P
• Pagé I
• Vette A
• Kawchuk G

• Affiliation / University of Alberta. Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Affiliation / University of Alberta. Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine
• Affiliation / University of Alberta. Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. Department of Physical Therapy
• Affiliation(G) / Canada / Alberta / Edmonton
• Low Back Pain
• Lumbar Vertebrae
• Manipulation, Spinal
• Manipulation, Spinal / physiology
• Mobilization
• Musculoskeletal Manipulations
• Open Access Document
• Osteoarthritis, Spine
• Review Literature as Topic

Introduction: In individuals having low back pain, the application of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) has been shown to reduce spinal stiffness in those who report improvements in post-SMT disability. The underlying mechanism for this rapid change in stiffness is not understood presently. As clinicians and patients may benefit from a better understanding of this mechanism in terms of optimizing care delivery, the objective of this scoping review of current literature was to identify if potential mechanisms that explain this clinical response have been previously described or could be elucidated from existing data.

Methods: Three literature databases were systematically searched (MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PubMed). Our search terms included subject headings and keywords relevant to SMT, spinal stiffness, lumbar spine, and mechanism. Inclusion criteria for candidate studies were publication in English, quantification of lumbar spinal stiffness before and after SMT, and publication between January 2000 and June 2019.

Results: The search identified 1931 articles. Of these studies, 10 were included following the application of the inclusion criteria. From these articles, 7 themes were identified with respect to potential mechanisms described or derived from data: 1) change in muscle activity; 2) increase in mobility; 3) decrease in pain; 4) increase in pressure pain threshold; 5) change in spinal tissue behavior; 6) change in the central nervous system or reflex pathways; and 7) correction of a vertebral dysfunction.

Conclusions: This scoping review identified 7 themes put forward by authors to explain changes in spinal stiffness following SMT. Unfortunately, none of the studies provided data which would support the promotion of one theme over another. As a result, this review suggests a need to develop a theoretical framework to explain rapid biomechanical changes following SMT to guide and prioritize future investigations in this important clinical area.

Author keywords: Low back pain — Lumbar spine — Manual therapy — Spinal manipulation — Spinal mobilization — Spinal stiffness

Author affiliations: PJ, IP: Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; AV: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Donadeo Innovation Centre for Engineering, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; GK: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

This abstract is reproduced with the permission of the publisher; click on the above link for free full text. PubMed Record