I came across this study published in 2013 reporting the beneficial effects of spinal manipulative therapy on cervical disc herniations and I wanted to share it with you, particularly because the risks of this VERY SAFE PROCEDURE are so often sensationalized by the media, and the benefits are so often overlooked.
Title - Outcomes From Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Confirmed Symptomatic Cervical Disk Herniation Patients Treated With High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude Spinal Manipulative Therapy: A Prospective Cohort Study With 3-Month Follow-Up. (JMPT - Volume 36, Issue 8, October 2013, Pages 461–467)
The purpose of this study was to investigate outcomes of patients with cervical radiculopathy (Nerve pain travelling down the arm) from cervical disk herniation (CDH) who are treated with spinal manipulative therapy.
Results -Fifty patients were included. At 2 weeks, 55.3% were “improved,” 68.9% at 1 month and 85.7% at 3 months. Statistically significant decreases in neck pain, arm pain, and NDI scores were noted at 1 and 3 months compared with baseline scores (P < .0001). Of the subacute/chronic patients, 76.2% were improved at 3 months.
Conclusions - Most patients in this study, including subacute/chronic patients, with symptomatic magnetic resonance imaging–confirmed CDH treated with spinal manipulative therapy, reported significant improvement with no adverse events.
Title - Outcomes From Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Confirmed Symptomatic Cervical Disk Herniation Patients Treated With High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude Spinal Manipulative Therapy: A Prospective Cohort Study With 3-Month Follow-Up. (JMPT - Volume 36, Issue 8, October 2013, Pages 461–467)
The purpose of this study was to investigate outcomes of patients with cervical radiculopathy (Nerve pain travelling down the arm) from cervical disk herniation (CDH) who are treated with spinal manipulative therapy.
Results -Fifty patients were included. At 2 weeks, 55.3% were “improved,” 68.9% at 1 month and 85.7% at 3 months. Statistically significant decreases in neck pain, arm pain, and NDI scores were noted at 1 and 3 months compared with baseline scores (P < .0001). Of the subacute/chronic patients, 76.2% were improved at 3 months.
Conclusions - Most patients in this study, including subacute/chronic patients, with symptomatic magnetic resonance imaging–confirmed CDH treated with spinal manipulative therapy, reported significant improvement with no adverse events.