Spinal manipulative therapy
Encyclopedia
Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is the generic term commonly given to a group of manually applied therapeutic interventions. These interventions are usually applied with the aim of inducing intervertebral movement by directing forces to vertebrae, and include spinal manipulation
and mobilization
.
Spinal manipulative therapy may be an alternative to traditional treatments for spine-related pain because it is associated with relatively few side effects. A Cochrane review of spinal manipulative therapy states: "This review of 39 trials found that spinal manipulation was more effective in reducing pain and improving the ability to perform everyday activities than sham (fake) therapy and therapies already known to be unhelpful. However, it was no more or less effective than medication for pain, physical therapy, exercises, back school or the care given by a general practitioner."
Spinal manipulation
Spinal manipulation is a therapeutic intervention performed on spinal articulations which are synovial joints . These articulations in the spine that are amenable to spinal manipulative therapy include the z-joints, the atlanto-occipital, atlanto-axial, lumbosacral, sacroiliac, costotransverse...
and mobilization
Joint mobilization
Joint mobilization is a type of passive movement of a skeletal joint. It is usually aimed at a 'target' synovial joint with the aim of achieving a therapeutic effect...
.
Spinal manipulative therapy may be an alternative to traditional treatments for spine-related pain because it is associated with relatively few side effects. A Cochrane review of spinal manipulative therapy states: "This review of 39 trials found that spinal manipulation was more effective in reducing pain and improving the ability to perform everyday activities than sham (fake) therapy and therapies already known to be unhelpful. However, it was no more or less effective than medication for pain, physical therapy, exercises, back school or the care given by a general practitioner."