Spinal manipulation or mobilization for radiculopathy: a systematic review
Brent Leininger1, Gert Bronfort, Roni Evans
1Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies, Northwestern Health Sciences University, 2501 West 84th Street, Bloomington, MN 55431, USA. bleininger@nwhealth.edu
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America
|February 5, 2011
Summary
Spinal manipulation shows moderate evidence for acute lumbar radiculopathy but low evidence for other spinal conditions. More research is needed for thoracic radiculopathy and chronic symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Neurology
- Physical Therapy
Background:
- Spinal manipulation and mobilization are common conservative treatments.
- Cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions can cause extremity pain.
- Evidence for these treatments in extremity pain varies by spinal region and chronicity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the literature on the efficacy and effectiveness of spinal manipulation or mobilization.
- To assess these interventions for cervical, thoracic, and lumbar-related extremity pain.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review.
- Comprehensive search of relevant databases.
- Analysis of evidence quality for different conditions.
Main Results:
- Moderate evidence supports spinal manipulation for acute lumbar radiculopathy.
- Low or very low evidence exists for chronic lumbar and all durations of cervical spine-related extremity symptoms.
- No current evidence supports spinal manipulation for thoracic radiculopathy.
Conclusions:
- Spinal manipulation may be effective for acute lumbar radiculopathy.
- Evidence is insufficient for other spinal regions and symptom durations.
- High-quality research is required to address these gaps in evidence.
