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Spinal reflex excitability changes after cervical and lumbar spinal manipulation: a comparative study.

J Donald Dishman¹, Jeanmarie Burke

¹Department of Anatomy, New York Chiropractic College, 2360 SR 89, Seneca Falls, NY 13148, USA. ddishman@nycc.edu

The Spine Journal : Official Journal of the North American Spine Society

|November 1, 2003

Summary

Spinal manipulation (SM) transiently reduces motoneuron activity in both the cervical and lumbar spine. Lumbar SM showed a greater reduction in motoneuron excitability than cervical SM in healthy adults.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Physiology
Biomedical Engineering

Background:

Spinal manipulation (SM) is a common treatment for neck, low back, and pelvic pain.
SM causes a temporary decrease in motoneuron activity, measured by the Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex).
Previous studies showed SM reduces lumbar motoneuron activity, but cervical SM effects are unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare the physiological effects of SM on cervical and lumbar motoneuron pool excitability.
To understand how SM influences motoneuron activity in different spinal regions.

Main Methods:

Asymptomatic young healthy volunteers participated in the study.
Maximal H-reflex amplitudes were recorded before and after SM in both cervical and lumbar regions.

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H-reflexes from tibial and median nerves were evaluated after lumbar and cervical SM, respectively.

Main Results:

Both lumbar and cervical SM significantly attenuated motoneuron excitability temporarily.
The reduction in H-reflex amplitude was greater for the tibial nerve (lumbar SM) than the median nerve (cervical SM).

Conclusions:

Spinal manipulation transiently suppresses motoneuron excitability.
Lumbar SM appears to cause greater motoneuron activity attenuation than cervical SM.
Different spinal regions may have varying responsiveness to spinal manipulative therapy.