Manual force, mechanically assisted articular chiropractic technique using long and/or short level contacts

Area of Science:

• Chiropractic Manipulation Techniques
• Spinal Biomechanics
• Manual Therapy Research

Background:

• Limited literature exists on specific chiropractic techniques involving manual force and mechanical assistance.
• Articular chiropractic techniques utilizing short-lever or combined short- and long-lever contacts with mechanical assistance are not well-documented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify existing theories and literature on manual force, mechanically assisted articular chiropractic techniques.
• To explore techniques using short-lever or combined lever contacts with mechanical assistance.

Main Methods:

• Searched Medline, Index to Chiropractic Literature, and Chiropractic Research Abstracts Collection.
• Included English-language publications, including non-peer-reviewed sources.
• Extracted descriptions of manipulative procedures by a single author.

Main Results:

• Found limited accessible information on these specific chiropractic techniques.
• Described characteristics of techniques using mechanical assistance with specialized table parts.
• Presented conjecture regarding the advantages of mechanical assistance in vertebral adjustments.

Conclusions:

• This review is a preliminary step in evaluating chiropractic technique procedures.
• Accessible literature on manual force, mechanically assisted chiropractic techniques is scarce.
• Controlled clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and comparative effectiveness of these techniques are nonexistent.