Mechanisms of Action of Spinal Manipulation – What happens when we adjust patients?
Apr
What happens when you adjust your patients? This is such an interesting and complex question – one that Dr. Simon Wang (CMCC) and I attempted to answer in our 5-hour E-Seminar “The Science of the Chiropractic Adjustment: Have we cracked the code” (check it out here). This week’s review summarizes a new paper on this very topic…
Spinal manipulation (SMT) is our most common method of treatment as chiropractors and is recommended in several treatment guidelines and reviews for spinal and musculoskeletal pain. However, the underlying mechanism(s) by which SMT exerts its effect(s) are still unclear and need to be understood to determine appropriate indications and to maximize its therapeutic efficacy.
While there are many theories about these mechanisms, there remains no consensus. Theories relating to potential mechanisms include changes in anatomy, such as repositioning vertebrae or altering muscle thickness at rest, and physiological changes, such as modification of muscle strength, changing pain signaling or reducing inflammation. These anatomical and/or physiological changes are then alleged to explain associated clinical improvements, including increased function, reduced pain, relief from diseases, and overall improvements in health.
Any possible mechanisms of manipulation must have an effect in the body which lasts beyond the application of the manipulation and that effect must lead to a change in clinical outcome. Therefore, it is reasonable to begin by determining the immediate effects of a single SMT. Therefore, this review aimed to evaluate and synthesize the peer-reviewed literature on the immediate changes in or to anatomical structures in response to SMT.
This week’s Research Review: Mechanisms of Action of Spinal Manipulation – Systematic Review
This paper was published in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies (2024)
You can now purchase single Research Reviews for only $4.99 – Get access to this review here
For more scientific and clinical learning on this topic, check out my 5-hour E-Seminar “The Science of the Chiropractic Adjustment: Have we cracked the code?“
