Manipulation Plus Exercise Helps Teens with Back Pain

Back pain is common in the adolescent population, but little research exists on treatment options for this group of patients. In a new study, researchers randomly assigned teenagers with back pain into one of two treatment groups for a three-month period: spinal manipulation combined with exercise therapy or exercise therapy alone. The investigators monitored low back pain severity, disability, quality of life, medication use, and patient and caregiver-rated improvement and satisfaction at 12, 26, and 52 weeks. The findings revealed that for adolescents with back pain, spinal manipulation combined with exercise is more effective than exercise alone over a one-year period. Pain, March 2018