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Osteopathic Manipulation Helps Low Back Pain… A Bit
It just might not be enough to matter.
Low back pain. If you have it, you know what a burden it can be. If you have patients with it, you know how frustrating it can be to try to treat. The laundry list of therapies is extensive: NSAIDs, physical therapy, muscle relaxants, and of course opioids are all frequently trotted out with limited success. It’s no surprise then that some patients turn to osteopathic manipulation to find relief.
Now, osteopathic manipulation is not chiropracty — we’re not talking back cracking here. According to the American Osteopathic Association, osteopathic manipulation is “moving a patient’s muscles and joints using techniques that include stretching, gentle pressure, and resistance.”
On my completely arbitrary scale of biologic plausibility, ranging from 0 (homeopathy) to 10 (Vitamin C to Prevent Scurvy), I’d put OMT at around a 4.
Could stretching and moving peoples joints and muscles help with low back pain? Sure. But, and I think I’ll have this on my gravestone — biological plausibility is the start of medical research, not the end.
