Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

The Effectiveness and Harms of Spinal Manipulative Therapy for the Treatment of Acute Neck and Lower Back Pain

Click for list of published reports
Click for topic nomination form
Click for list of reports in progress

Subscribe to the
ESP Report RSS feed RSS feed icon
The Effectiveness and Harms of Spinal Manipulative Therapy for the Treatment of Acute Neck and Lower Back Pain:

Principal Investigator: Paul G. Shekelle, MD, PhD
Co-investigators: Neil M. Paige, MD, MSHS
Research Associates: Isomi M. Miake-Lye, BA; Jessica M. Beroes, BS; Marika Suttorp Booth, MS Roberta Shanman, MS

Evidence-based Synthesis Program (ESP) Center, West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

Washington (DC): Department of Veterans Affairs; December 2015


Download PDF: Complete Report, Executive Summary, Report, Appendices

Introduction

Back pain and neck pain are among the most common symptoms prompting patients to seek care. Many treatments are used for back pain. Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is a treatment option available in VA. In order to better understand the potential role of SMT in treating acute back or neck pain, VA requested an up-to-date synthesis of the evidence.

Key Question 1: What are the benefits and harms of spinal manipulation/chiropractic services for acute lower back pain (less than 6 weeks duration) compared to usual care or other forms of acute pain management?

Key Question 1A: What is the relationship between the use of spinal manipulation/chiropractic services for lower back pain and the use of opiate medication?

Key Question 2: What are the benefits and harms of spinal manipulation/chiropractic services for acute neck pain (less than 6 weeks duration) compared to usual care or other forms of acute pain management?

Key Question 2A: What is the relationship between the use of spinal manipulation/chiropractic services for acute neck pain and the use of opiate medication?


See also

Systematic Review: Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Acute Neck and Lower Back Pain (Management eBrief)

Paige NM, Miake-Lye IM, Booth MS, et al. Association of Spinal Manipulative Therapy with Clinical Benefit and Harm for Acute Low Back Pain. JAMA. 2017;317(14):1451-1460. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.3086

The Effectiveness and Harms of Spinal Manipulative Therapy for the Treatment of Acute Neck and Lower Back Pain: A Systematic Review (Cyberseminar)


Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.