Spinal manipulation is a manual treatment technique that delivers a thrust, using specific biomechanical parameters to exert its therapeutic effects. These parameters have been shown to have a unique dose-response relationship with the physiological responses of the therapy. So far, however, there has not been a unified approach to standardize these biomechanical characteristics. In fact, it is still undetermined how they affect the observed clinical outcomes of spinal manipulation. This study, therefore, reviewed the current body of literature to explore these dosage parameters and evaluate their significance, with respect to physiological and clinical outcomes. From the experimental studies reviewed herein, it is evident that the modulation of manipulation's biomechanical parameters elicits transient physiological responses, including changes in neuronal activity, electromyographic responses, spinal stiffness, muscle spindle responses, paraspinal muscle activity, vertebral displacement, and segmental and intersegmental acceleration responses. However, to date, there have been few clinical trials that tested the therapeutic relevance of these changes. In addition, there were some inherent limitations in both human and animal models due to the use of mechanical devices to apply the thrust. Future studies evaluating the effects of varying biomechanical parameters of spinal manipulation should include clinicians to deliver the therapy in order to explore the true clinical significance of the dose-response relationship.
Animals ; Humans ; Manipulation, Spinal

Manual medicine is as old as the science and art of medicine itself. Spinal manipulation in manual medicine is widely used as a treatment modality for spinal disorders. But one of the problems as perceived by the medical profession is that the therapy is often treated as a business rather than a science. In addition, its reputation has been blurred by some of its advocates claiming far too much for its effectiveness and using it as a panacea. Another observation is that many patients have been subjected to a prolonged and failed trial of spinal manipulation. It was written with one purpose in mind. The purpose is to give a basic overview of the present day practice and scope of the field of manual medicine. If, in addition, the information thus provided helps reduce certain existing prejudices toward this field.
Commerce ; Humans ; Manipulation, Spinal ; Prejudice

Humans ; Manipulation, Spinal ; methods ; Spondylosis ; surgery ; therapy

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of spinal manipulation for the patients with acute low back pain. METHOD: Twenty patients with acute low back pain have been received spinal manipulation 3 times per week. The 10-point scale and the distance of the fingertips from the floor on maximum forward flexion (fingertip-flexion test) were checked pretreatment, immediately posttreatment, 2 days posttreatment, 1 week posttreatment, and 2 weeks posttreatment. RESULTS: The results were as follows: 1) The 10-point scale at pretreatment, immediately posttreatment, 2 days posttreatment, 1 week posttreatment, and 2 weeks post-treatment were 10.0+/-0.0, 5.8+/-1.4, 2.2+/-1.0, 1.1+/-0.2, and 1.0+/-0.0, respectively (P<0.01). 2) The fingertip-flexion test at pretreatment, immediately posttreatment, 2 days posttreatment, 1 week posttreatment, 2 weeks posttreatment were 35.4+/-8.4 cm, 22.4+/-7.0 cm, 14.1+/-4.9 cm, 7.4+/-3.6 cm, and 5.4+/-4.6 cm, respectively (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: In our study, the spinal manipulation for the patients with acute low back pain offered significant efficacy and appeared to be a reasonable therapeutic option. But the effectiveness of this method leaves a critical aspect that should be dealt with in future studies.
Humans ; Low Back Pain* ; Manipulation, Spinal*

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is one of the most common causes of sciatica. Many non-operative treatment strategies have acquired satisfied effects and have been recommended in many countries. The effectiveness and advantages of non-operative treatment may depend on how they are being used. Based on analysis of the current clinical condition,the positive attitude to the treatment of both patients and doctors, appropriate therapeutic scheme and sufficient time, as well as the systematically combined optimum procedure in stepladder-like ways may be feasible principles for the treatment of LDH.
Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; therapy ; Manipulation, Spinal ; Pilot Projects

Traditional Chinese spinal manipulative therapy (TCSMT) and Chiropractic are similar in treating related with spinal disease, but they keep different characteristics of themselves. Although Chiropractic's "Subluxation" and TCSMT's "Jin Chu Cao and Gu Cuo Feng" theory have not be widely recognized, yet Chiropractic has already have official cooperation with WHO,and has launched "WHO Basis of Chiropractic Training and Security Guide" which would promote the project further research. Comparatively, TCSMT has mature theoretical system and satisfactory clinical effectiveness, but it's hard to global spreading formally and legally. By means of cogitation of the TCSMT'S basic theories and clinical applications, this paper aims to analyze the inadequacy aspects of it, and hope to borrow some Chiropractic's advantage to TCSMT's global spreading. And I wish this paper could be helpful for relative doctors and researchers.
Chiropractic ; Humans ; Manipulation, Spinal ; methods ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Cauda equina syndrome(CES) and disc rupture have been implicated as a potential complication of spinal manipulation. A review of the literature from 1911 to 1996 received 61 reported cases of cauda equina syndrome or disc rupture in patients undergoing manipulation. This article presents four new cases, where a temporal association was found between the onset of cauda equina symptoms or disc rupture and lumbar manipulation. The type of manipulation administered and the relationship between the treatment and symptoms is reviewed. Our patients symptoms suggest that acute herniation was caused, or at least precipitated by spinal manipulation. In each of these cases the chiropractitioner failed to comprehend the nature of the problem and take appropriate action. As a consequence, the patient went untreated for several days. Many chiropractic therapists assumed the incidence of CES caused by manipulation to be approximately one in many millions of treatments. However, we assumed that CES or disc rupture is far more common than the literature would reflect. It is therefore essential that persons practicing or prescribing manipulation would be aware of these complications.
Cauda Equina ; Chiropractic ; Humans ; Incidence ; Manipulation, Spinal ; Polyradiculopathy ; Rupture ; Spine*

BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE: Neck manipulation or trauma uncommonly be associated with serious and even fatal vascular complications. We presented the clinical and radiologic findings in 3 patients of brainstem and/or cerebellar infarct with basilar artery occlusion and extracranial vertebral artery stenosis or occlusion,. Cases : In the patient 1, the infarction of pons and lsft cerebellar hemisphere outbroke just after being seized by the collar. The angiographic findings were complete occlusion of basilar artery and left vertebral artery on C1 level and vertebrobasilar junctional occlusion of right vertebral artery. In the patient 2, extensive infarction of pons and left cerebellar hemisphere developed just after chiropractic manipulation of the neck. The angiographic findings were occlusions of left vertebral artery and distal portion of the basilar artery. In the patient 3, right cerebellar and medullary infarction of posteroinferior cerebellar artery territory occurred just after autobicycle accident. The angiographic finding was complete occlusion of left vertebral artery on C1 lever. They had not another risk factor of the stroke. CONCLUSIONS: We experienced and presented 3 cases of posterior circulation infarctio with vertebrobasilar stenoocclusion just following cervical manipulation or neck trauma.
Arteries ; Basilar Artery ; Brain Stem ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Manipulation, Chiropractic ; Manipulation, Spinal* ; Neck ; Pons ; Risk Factors ; Stroke ; Vertebral Artery ; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency

OBJECTIVETo compare the difference in the efficacy on cervical type of cervical spondylosis (CS) between the combined treatment of sword-like needle and chiropractic spinal manipulation (the combined therapy) and the simple chiropractic spinal manipulation.

METHODSOne hundred and thirty-eight cases of cervical type of CS were randomized into a combined therapy group (76 cases) and a simple chiropractic spinal manipulation group (62 cases). In the combined therapy group, the sword-like needle therapy was applied at Fengchi (GB 20), Tianzhu (BL 10) and Jiaji (EX-B 2) C3-C5. The chiropractic spinal manipulation was used in combination. In the chiropractic spinal manipulation group, the simple chiropractic spinal manipulation was adopted. The treatment was given once every other day in the two groups, 10 days made one session. One session of treatment was required. Visual analog scale (VAS) score was observed before and after treatment in the two groups and the efficacies were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSVAS score after treatment was reduced obviously as compared with that before treatment in the patients of the two groups (both P < 0.01) and VAS score after treatment in the combined therapy group was lower than that in the simple chiropractic spinal manipulation group (1.50 +/- 0.58 vs 1.87+/-1.05, P < 0.01). In the combined therapy group, 48 cases were cured, 20 cases remarkably effective, 8 cases improved and 0 case failed. In the chiropractic spinal manipulation group, 30 cases were cured, 16 cases remarkably effective, 15 cases improved and 1 case failed. The overall efficacy in the combined therapy group was better than that in the chiropractic spinal manipulation (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe sword-like needle therapy combined with chiropractic spinal manipulation relieve effectively pain in cervical type of CS and the efficacy is superior to the simple chiropractic spinal manipulation.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Manipulation, Chiropractic ; Manipulation, Spinal ; Middle Aged ; Spondylosis ; therapy

"Subluxation" is the core of pathological conception of spinal injuries treated by spinal manipulation. The conception of "Subluxation" not only includes changes of joint anatomy,but also emphasizes on joint dysfunction which is caused by changes of the anatomical position. The name of "Subluxation" in manual medicine is the same as modern medicine,but the content is obviously different. Nonetheless, it would be confused and not reflect the characteristics of manual practices. So we can consider changing the name of "Subluxation" in manual medicine into "Yatuowei".
Animals ; Humans ; Manipulation, Spinal ; Models, Animal ; Spinal Injuries ; therapy ; Terminology as Topic