Manipulation Effects on Abdominal Muscles

Overview

The purpose of this study is to understand how different physical therapy interventions affect the use of certain abdominal muscles in patients with low back pain.

Full Title of Study: “The Immmediate Effects of Thrust Joint Manipulation on the Resting and Contraction Thickness of Transversus Abdominis in Subjects With Low Back Pain”

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: Randomized
    • Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
    • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
    • Masking: Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: August 2014

Detailed Description

Patients with low back pain will undergo ultrasound imaging of the lateral abdominal wall to measure resting and contracted thickness of the transversus abdominis muscle. Following the pre-intervention measurement, patients will receive one of two physical therapy interventions (side lying thrust joint manipulation or side lying non-thrust oscillations into slight rotation) which will have been randomly assigned. Immediately after intervention, ultrasound imaging will be repeated on the resting and contracted thickness of the transversus abdominis.

Interventions

  • Other: Lumbar Manipulation
    • Manual therapy intervention
  • Other: Sham manipulation
    • Manual therapy intervention

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Active Comparator: Lumbar manipulation
    • Patients will receive thrust joint manipulation to their lumbar spine in side lying
  • Sham Comparator: Sham manipulation
    • Patients will receive oscillations into slight rotation, without cavitation, in side lying

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • Transversus abdominis thickness change
    • Time Frame: Baseline to immediately after the intervention (within 5 minutes)
    • Measurement of change in thickness from resting to contraction will be compared at baseline (pre-intervention) to immediately following the intervention (post-intervention). The study is looking at the immediate effects so there is no short-term or longer term follow up.

Secondary Measures

  • Numeric Pain Rating Scale
    • Time Frame: Baseline to immediately after the intervention (within 5 minutes)
    • Rating of perceived pain will be compared at baseline (pre-intervention) to immediately following the intervention (post-intervention). The study is looking at the immediate effects so there is no short-term or longer term follow up.

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

  • Currently receiving physical therapy treatment for back pain or back pain symptoms – 18-70 years of age – Able to perform the abdominal drawing in maneuver Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of a serious pathology – Diagnosis of spinal stenosis or symptoms in both lower legs (changes in sensation, muscle weakness) – Any history of low back surgery, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, osteopenia, or ankylosing spondylitis

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 18 Years

Maximum Age: 70 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Principal Investigator: Emilio J Puentedura, PT, DPT, PhD, Assistant Professor – University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  • Overall Official(s)
    • Jaclyn Durant, BSc, Study Director, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
    • Jade Elkind, BA, Study Director, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
    • Shawna Bohnet, BSc, Study Director, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Clinical trials entries are delivered from the US National Institutes of Health and are not reviewed separately by this site. Please see the identifier information above for retrieving further details from the government database.

At TrialBulletin.com, we keep tabs on over 200,000 clinical trials in the US and abroad, using medical data supplied directly by the US National Institutes of Health. Please see the About and Contact page for details.