Manual Therapies Reduce Pain & Disability

A recent study investigated both the short- and long-term benefits of manual therapy in the treatment of neck and back pain. Participants age 18 to 65 received twelve weeks of treatment that included spinal manipulation, spinal mobilization, stretching, and/or massage. At the conclusion of treatment, 64% reported improvement in pain intensity while 42% experienced improvements in pain-related disability. When investigators followed-up with these participants a year later, 58% continued to report improvements in pain intensity and 40% continued to note improvements in pain-related disability. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, April 2016