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Updated: May 10, 2026
Biomechanical Changes Related to Low Back Pain: An Innovative Tool for Movement Pattern Assessment and Treatment Evaluation in Rehabilitation
Published on: December 13, 2024
Thrust and nonthrust manipulation for older adults with low back pain: an evaluation of pain and disability
Kenneth E Learman1, Christopher Showalter, Bryan O'Halloran
1Department of Physical Therapy, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio 44555, USA. klearman@ysu.edu
Objective:
The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of thrust manipulation (TM) and non-TM (NTM) on a sample of older subjects with low back pain.
Methods:
This is a secondary data analysis of a randomized control trial. Forty-nine subjects aged 55 to 88 years participated in the trial, who received either a TM or NTM on at least 2 occasions during the course of care, and were extracted from the larger data set. The treatment program included a standardized home exercise program for the first 2 sessions, which could be modified by the therapist after those 2 sessions. Numeric pain rating scale and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were the outcomes for this study.
Results:
Multivariate analysis revealed no significant between-group differences for treatment group (P=.99) without group×time interaction (P=.90). Significant within-group changes were observed for both groups for ODI and numeric pain rating scale (P<.001); the average self-report of recovery was 78.0% (SD, 19.8%). Age stratification of the older subset revealed between-group differences in ODI change scores for the oldest subjects (>70 years) compared with 60 to 69 years (P=.02).
Conclusions:
This study showed that outcomes for both TM and NTM improved in older adults with low back pain.
