Low Back Pain and Osteopathic Manipulation

Previous work demonstrated that the osteopathic technique, called high velocity low amplitude, decreased the EMG activity in the lumbar paraspinal musculature along with a subjective sensation of diminished low back pain and movement restriction. More recent studies have shown that there is an increase in the skin microcirculation that correlates statistically with the decreased EMG activity. This study measures blood levels of norepinephrine and epinephrine before and after the high velocity low amplitude technique to attempt to quantitate the reduction of Low Back Pain sensation and to correlate these markers with EMG and microcirculatory changes.

26 subjects have been recruited to date. 12 subjects experienced Low Back Pain and another 12 were pain free. Each group of 12 were divided into the high velocity low amplitude grooup and non treament subgroups. 2 additional subjects had Low Back Pain concomitant iwth dysmenorrhea.

The high velocity low amplitude osteopathic technique decreased EMG activity during movement and relieved Low Back Pain and muscle spasm. Prelimanry analysis shows that norepinephrine does not appear to change with the high velocity low amplitude technique. However, epinephrine appears to decrease with diminished pain. Further data is being obtained from more subjects and the plasma analyzed for beta endorphin.
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Low-back (LBP) treatment by high velocity low amplitude (HLVA) osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT) and effectiveness measured by electromyography (EMG). MF Krpan, BS, et al. Thirty-Six Annual AOA Conference Abstracts, 1992