Grand Choi, Averie McGuinty, Nicole Meaghan Smith
et al.
Abstract Background Manual therapy, including high-velocity low-amplitude spinal manipulation (HVLA-SM), is a complex motor task performed by trained individuals. The ability to modulate the magnitude of applied forces is an attribute of proficiency that is challenging for providers and students. Adopting different biomechanical strategies may facilitate force modulation by practitioners performing HVLA-SM. This study evaluated the efficacy of different biomechanical strategies on force–time characteristics of prone thoracic HVLA-SM. Methods A randomized crossover experimental design was used. Data were collected between October 2022 and May 2023 from chiropractic students at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College who performed HVLA-SM targeted to the thoracic spine of a prone-lying manikin using as much force as possible in each of six different strategies. Strategies (S1 to S6) were specifically developed to successively increase a person’s ability to produce force while performing HVLA-SM. Force–time parameters for the HVLA-SM trials were recorded. Peak force was the primary outcome of interest while preload force, load rate, and time to peak force were analyzed as secondary measures. Results Data were collected from 97 participants (51 female). Peak force increased successively from S1 to S5 with moderate effects (− 0.45 ≤ effect size ≤ −0.72). There was no statistical difference in either peak force or load rate between S5 and S6. Load rate also did not statistically increase between S3 and S4 where different muscle groups were targeted to produce force. The strategy with the highest peak force (S6) also demonstrated the lowest preload force. Conclusions Strategies used in this study effectively facilitated modulation of force–time characteristics of prone thoracic HVLA-SM. Thus, training approaches may consider introducing people to different biomechanical strategies to enhance HVLA-SM force modulation.
Chiropractic, Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Abstract Background The evidence on age-related differences in outcomes in patients seeking chiropractic care for low back pain is limited. The aims of this study were to (i) to explore differences in patient characteristics and symptoms between older, middle-aged and younger patients with LBP seeking chiropractic care, (ii) to investigate whether age was associated with changes in physical function at 2, 13 and 52 weeks follow-up and (iii) to evaluate if other specific demographic variables were associated with changes in physical function over time. Methods This observational cohort study (November 2016 to December 2018) used data from the Danish Chiropractic Low Back Pain Cohort (ChiCo). Participants ≥ 18 years seeking chiropractic care for new onset low back pain were categorised into three age groups: young adults (< 40 years), middle-aged adults (40–59 years), and older adults (≥ 60 years). Disability was assessed at baseline and at 2, 13 and 52 weeks follow-up using the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire. Associations between age groups and disability outcomes were analysed using linear regression, while associations with demographics, and social and psychological factors were examined using backward stepwise linear regression. Results 2777 participants were included. At baseline, there were no significant differences in disability scores between age groups. Older patients reported more non-musculoskeletal comorbidities and prescription pain medication use, compared to younger and middle-aged patients. Younger patients showed higher depression and anxiety levels compared to middle-aged and older patients. Younger and middle-aged patients more frequently reported multiple musculoskeletal comorbidities than older patients. At all follow-ups, older patients had slightly higher disability scores and showed less improvement over time compared to younger and middle-aged patients, indicating a modest association between age and poorer outcomes. Higher baseline disability, more musculoskeletal comorbidities, worse self-reported health, and higher depression scores were more consistently associated with less improvement in disability over time. Conclusion Older chiropractic patients with low back pain had slightly higher disability scores compared to younger and middle-aged patients, but age was not the strongest factor associated with disability outcomes. Baseline disability, depression, self-perceived general health, and MSK comorbidities were more consistently linked to higher disability scores across all follow-up time points.
Chiropractic, Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Rikke K. Jensen, Lisbeth Hartvigsen, Alice Kongsted
Abstract Objective To investigate symptom trajectories in chiropractic patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Methods Patients diagnosed with LSS were recruited from chiropractic clinics and self-reported questionnaires were collected at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Patients received weekly text messages about low back pain (LBP) and leg symptoms for 1 year. Group-based trajectory modelling was performed to identify symptom trajectory groups. The groups were compared based on patient characteristics, LBP and leg pain intensity, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ). Results A total of 90 patients were included in the analysis. A three-group trajectory model was chosen: ‘improving’ (16%), ‘fluctuating/improving’ (30%), and ‘persistent’ (54%). The ‘persistent’ group had a higher proportion of women [71% (95% CI 57–82%)] than the ‘improving’ group 29% (95% CI 11–56%), and a higher ODI score at both baseline [34.2 (95% CI 29.7–38.8) vs. 22.8 (16.4–29.1)] and 1-year follow-up [28.1 (95% CI 23.2–33.0) vs. 4.8 (0.1–9.4)]. Similar differences were observed for ZCQ symptom and function scores. Conclusions Pain symptoms in people with LSS followed distinctly different trajectories. Half of the sample had a pattern of consistently severe symptoms over a year, while the other half either improved rapidly or experienced fluctuating symptoms with some improvement.
Objective: To assess the clinical effectiveness of the balance chiropractic therapy (BCT) compared with traction therapy (TT) for patients with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy. Methods: Subjects were enrolled from four hospitals. Eligible patients will be randomized to one of the two arms: the treatment group and the control group. In the treatment group, patients received the BCT for 20 days, while patients in the control group received TT. Patients visited the physician at 1- and 3-month follow-up. The primary outcome was pain severity measured with a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes included cervical curvature measured using the Borden method, a composite of functional status measured by the Neck Disability Index (NDI), patient health status (evaluated by the SF-36 health survey) and adverse events (AEs) as reported in the trial. Results: Of the 240 randomly assigned patients, 120 participants were assigned to the BCT and 120 to the TT. 231 (96.3 %) provided follow-up data at 1 and 3 months. There were no significant differences in baseline data between the two groups (P > 0.05), indicating good comparability. According to the results, after BCT and TT treatment, the pain VAS score, cervical curvature, NDI scores and SF-36 scores of two groups was significantly improved (P < 0.05). Furthermore, at 20 days of treatment and 1 and 3 months of follow-up, the participants in the BCT group showed superior treatment outcomes on both primary and secondary measures. Conclusion: The BCT may be a novel strategy for the treatment of the cervical spondylotic radiculopathy. Trial registration: Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT02705131. Registered on March 10, 2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02705131?cond=NCT02705131&rank=1&tab=table.
Laura Sirucek, Iara De Schoenmacker, Paulina Simonne Scheuren
et al.
Abstract. Introduction:. In 85% of patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP), no specific pathoanatomical cause can be identified. Besides primary peripheral drivers within the lower back, spinal or supraspinal sensitization processes might contribute to the patients' pain.
Objectives:. The present study conceptualized the most painful area (MP) of patients with nonspecific CLBP as primarily affected area and assessed signs of peripheral, spinal, and supraspinal sensitization using quantitative sensory testing (QST) in MP, a pain-free area adjacent to MP (AD), and a remote, pain-free control area (CON).
Methods:. Fifty-nine patients with CLBP (51 years, SD = 16.6, 22 female patients) and 35 pain-free control participants individually matched for age, sex, and testing areas (49 years, SD = 17.5, 19 female participants) underwent a full QST protocol in MP and a reduced QST protocol assessing sensory gain in AD and CON. Quantitative sensory testing measures, except paradoxical heat sensations and dynamic mechanical allodynia (DMA), were Z-transformed to the matched control participants and tested for significance using Z-tests (α = 0.001). Paradoxical heat sensations and DMA occurrence were compared between cohorts using Fisher's exact tests (α = 0.05). The same analyses were performed with a high-pain and a low-pain CLBP subsample (50% quantile).
Results:. Patients showed cold and vibration hypoesthesia in MP (all Ps < 0.001) and mechanical hyperalgesia (P < 0.001) and more frequent DMA (P = 0.044) in AD. The results were mainly driven by the high-pain CLBP subsample. In CON, no sensory alterations were observed.
Conclusion:. Mechanical hyperalgesia and DMA adjacent to but not within MP, the supposedly primarily affected area, might reflect secondary hyperalgesia originating from spinal sensitization in patients with CLBP.
Wren Burton, Stacie A. Salsbury, Christine M. Goertz
Abstract Background Healthcare systems (HCS) are challenged in adopting and sustaining comprehensive approaches to spine care that require coordination and collaboration among multiple service units. The integration of clinicians who provide first line, evidence-based, non-pharmacological therapies further complicates adoption of these care pathways. This cross-sectional study explored clinician perceptions about the integration of guideline-concordant care and optimal spine care workforce requirements within an academic HCS. Methods Spine care clinicians from Duke University Health System (DUHS) completed a 26-item online survey via Qualtrics on barriers and facilitators to delivering guideline concordant care for low back pain patients. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. Results A total of 27 clinicians (57% response) responded to one or more items on the questionnaire, with 23 completing the majority of questions. Respondents reported that guidelines were implementable within DUHS, but no spine care guideline was used consistently across provider types. Guideline access and integration with electronic records were barriers to use. Respondents (81%) agreed most patients would benefit from non-pharmacological therapies such as physical therapy or chiropractic before receiving specialty referrals. Providers perceived spine patients expected diagnostic imaging (81%) and medication (70%) over non-pharmacological therapies. Providers agreed that receiving imaging (63%) and opioids (59%) benchmarks could be helpful but might not change their ordering practice, even if nudged by best practice advisories. Participants felt that an optimal spine care workforce would require more chiropractors and primary care providers and fewer neurosurgeons and orthopedists. In qualitative responses, respondents emphasized the following barriers to guideline-concordant care implementation: patient expectations, provider confidence with referral pathways, timely access, and the appropriate role of spine surgery. Conclusions Spine care clinicians had positive support for current tenets of guideline-concordant spine care for low back pain patients. However, significant barriers to implementation were identified, including mixed opinions about integration of non-pharmacological therapies, referral pathways, and best practices for imaging and opioid use.
Casper G. Nim, Sasha L. Aspinall, Chad E. Cook
et al.
Abstract Background Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is a guideline-recommended treatment option for spinal pain. The recommendation is based on multiple systematic reviews. However, these reviews fail to consider that clinical effects may depend on SMT “application procedures” (i.e., how and where SMT is applied). Using network meta-analyses, we aim to investigate which SMT “application procedures” have the greatest magnitude of clinical effectiveness for reducing pain and disability, for any spinal complaint, at short-term and long-term follow-up. We will compare application procedural parameters by classifying the thrust application technique and the application site (patient positioning, assisted, vertebral target, region target, Technique name, forces, and vectors, application site selection approach and rationale) against: 1. Waiting list/no treatment; 2. Sham interventions not resembling SMT (e.g., detuned ultrasound); 3. Sham interventions resembling SMT; 4. Other therapies not recommended in clinical practice guidelines; and 5. Other therapies recommended in clinical practice guidelines. Secondly, we will examine how contextual elements, including procedural fidelity (whether the SMT was delivered as planned) and clinical applicability (whether the SMT is similar to clinical practice) of the SMT. Methods We will include randomized controlled trials (RCT) found through three search strategies, (i) exploratory, (ii) systematic, and (iii) other known sources. We define SMT as a high-velocity low-amplitude thrust or grade V mobilization. Eligibility is any RCT assessing SMT against any other type of SMT, any other active or sham intervention, or no treatment control on adult patients with pain in any spinal region. The RCTs must report on continuous pain intensity and/or disability outcomes. Two authors will independently review title and abstract screening, full-text screening, and data extraction. Spinal manipulative therapy techniques will be classified according to the technique application and choice of application sites. We will conduct a network-meta analysis using a frequentist approach and multiple subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Discussion This will be the most extensive review of thrust SMT to date, and will allow us to estimate the importance of different SMT application procedures used in clinical practice and taught across educational settings. Thus, the results are applicable to clinical practice, educational settings, and research studies. PROSPERO registration: CRD42022375836.
Chiropractic, Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Introduction. Studies on the correlation of selected torso and feet features among 7-13-year-old children and adolescents have shown that the most frequent and strongest correlations with feet features occur among girls at the age of 11 and 12 years and among boys at 11, 12 and 13 years old.
Material and method. The research was carried out in the group of adolescents aged 7 to 13 and registered 16,462 observations, including 5,552 from the urban area and 10,910 from rural environment, together with 87 features describing torso and feet. The work stand for measuring selected features using the photogrammetric method consists of a computer and a card, programme, monitor, printer and a projection-receiving device with a camera.
Conclusions
• The frequency of significant correlations of torso features with feet features that differentiate the rural environment from urban is greater, however, the urban area presents more frequent relationship with feet features at a different level.
Features of the frontal and transversal plane tell the rural environment apart, whereas the urban environment is only differentiated by the frontal plane.
• The frequency of significant relationships of the feet features, which torso features correlate with and differentiate between the rural and urban environment is greater. Therefore, these are the morphological features that characterize the longitudinal arch of the feet. The features that differentiate the urban environment are those describing only the longitudinal arche.
Stanley Innes, Guillaume Goncalves, Charlotte Leboeuf-Yde
Abstract Introduction Some chiropractors seem to have an inflated belief in the powers of spinal manipulation (SMT), for example aiming at preventing future spinal degeneration and health problems, activities that are without supporting evidence. Non-evidenced health beliefs have been shown to be associated with a tendency toward magical thinking. Holding such beliefs about SMT is associated with a limitless scope of practice (LLSoP). Recent studies have shown that “chiropractic conservatism” (ChiroCon) is also associated with such approaches. We wanted to understand ChiroCon and these attitudes toward SMT by exploring three different factors: intolerance to uncertainty, academic achievement, and tendency toward magical thinking and how they relate to ChiroCon and LLSoP. Method A cross-sectional survey of 243 chiropractic students from an Australian chiropractic program was conducted in May 2020. Students answered a questionnaire involving a patient case-scenario for LLSoP, levels of ChiroCon, validated questionnaires on (i) Intolerance of uncertainty, (ii) Academic achievement, and (iii) Magical thinking. LLSoP was defined as wanting to treat with SMT a 5-year-old asymptomatic child for future (i) Musculoskeletal (MSK) problems and/or (ii) Non-musculoskeletal diseases. Logistic regression models were used to confirm if there was an association between ChiroCon and LLSoP and to explore associations between LLSoP and (i) Intolerance of uncertainty, (ii) Academic achievement, and (iii) Magical thinking. We repeated the same analyses using ChiroCon as the outcome variable. Results We confirmed that chiropractic students in the more extreme ChiroCon group were more likely to want to prevent future spinal disorders in an asymptomatic 5-year-old child as compared to those with lower levels (OR = 3.9, (95%CI 1.97–7.72). This was also the case for the prevention of future diseases in the same child (OR = 6.9, (95%CI 3.11–15.06). Of the three predictor variables, magical belief was positively associated with both ChiroCon and LLSoP. Conclusion Not surprisingly, ChiroCon is closely related to LLSoP and both were linked to magical thinking. Therefore, the questionnaire ‘Magical Health Beliefs’ could be a useful instrument to screen future chiropractic students to prevent a mismatch between student and institution. Depending on the outlook of the school, some schools would welcome these students, whereas other institutions would want to avoid them in their education program.
Chiropractic, Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Shane Derbyshire, Jonathan Field, Jane Vennik
et al.
Abstract Background Remote consultations (RCs) enable clinicians to continue to support patients when face-to-face appointments are not possible. Restrictions to face-to-face care during the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated a pre-existing trend for their adoption. This is true for many health professionals including some chiropractors. Whilst most chiropractors in the UK have used RCs in some form during the pandemic, others have not. This study seeks to understand the views of chiropractors not using RCs and to explore perceived potential barriers. Methods A national online survey was completed by 534 registered practicing UK chiropractors on the use of RCs. Respondents had the opportunity of providing open-ended responses concerning lack of engagement in RCs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Textual responses obtained from 137 respondents were coded and analysed using thematic analysis. Results The use of RCs provided an opportunity for chiropractors to deliver ongoing care during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many chiropractors expressed concern that RCs misaligned with their strong professional identity of providing ‘hands-on’ care. Some chiropractors also perceived that patients expected physical interventions during chiropractic care and thus considered a lack of demand when direct contact is not possible. In the absence of a physical examination, some chiropractors had concerns about potential misdiagnosis, and perceived lack of diagnostic information with which to guide treatment. Clinic closures and change in working environment led to practical difficulties of providing remote care for a few chiropractors. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated changes in the way healthcare is provided with RCs becoming more commonplace in primary healthcare provision. This paper highlights perceived barriers which may lead to reduced utilisation of RCs by chiropractors, some of which appear fundamental to their perceived identity, whilst others are likely amenable to change with training and experience.
Chiropractic, Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Dysphagia (swallowing difficulty) is most often related to another health problems, including brain or spinal cord injury, neurological damage, neuromuscular disorders, and anatomical conditions. Dysphagia can have detrimental effects on pulmonary health and also impact nutritional intake. The right treatment depends on the cause established. Cervicogenic dysphagia is a cervical cause of difficulty in swallowing. This report describes a 53-year-old female patient with sore throat, swallowing difficulty for solids, and acid reflux for 2 years. Radiographs revealed anterior osteophytic lipping and kyphosis of the cervical spine and thoracolumbar (right convex) scoliosis. After 6 months of chiropractic treatment, her complaints and spinal deformity were obviously resolved. Our case report is unique in that the patient had an unusual presentation, i.e. cervical osteophytes, cervical kyphosis, and thoracolumbar scoliosis, which are all contributable causes of dysphagia. Correction of spinal deformity could result in positive treatment outcomes in selected patients with symptoms of cervicogenic dysphagia.
Abstract Background The Keele STarT Back Screening Tool (SBT), a 9-item questionnaire, screens for pain, physical functioning, fear-avoidance beliefs, catastrophizing, anxious thoughts, low mood, and bothersomeness in persons with back pain. SBT scores designate low, medium, or high risk for developing persistent disabling back pain. The primary study aim was to report the prevalence of SBT-calculated risk for back pain disability in US patients seeking chiropractic care. Methods The SBT questionnaire was administered to patients ≥18 years in 3 Chiropractic College outpatient teaching clinics in Iowa and Illinois (May 2017). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze respondent characteristics and prevalence of SBT-calculated risk subgroups. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between respondent characteristics and SBT scores (including psychological subscores). Results Of 550 respondents, 496 completed the SBT; 392 (79%) scored low-risk, 81 (16%) medium-risk, and 23 (5%) high-risk. Mean (SD) age was 44.8 (15.9), 56.9% were female, 88.2% white, 62.6% employed, mean current pain was 2.9 (2.1) out of 10, and 62% reported symptom duration > 3 months. Eighteen percent of respondents reported anxious thoughts, 32% low mood, 41% ≥ 1 and 21% ≥ 3 SBT psychological risk factors. Respondents reporting higher average pain (OR = 1.8 [1.4, 2.3]) and pain severity (OR = 1.3 [1.0 to 1.6]) were more likely to score with medium or high risk. Respondents reporting mid back versus low back pain (OR = 0.2 [0.1, 0.7]), and those employed less than full-time versus full-time (0.2 [01, 0.5]) were less likely to score with medium or high risk. Respondents reporting higher average pain were more likely to report ≥1 psychological factor (OR = 1.8 [1.5, 2.0]). Respondents employed part-time were less likely to report ≥1 psychological factor than those employed full-time (OR = 0.4 [0.2, 0.7]). Conclusion The sample surveyed was less likely to score with medium or high risk for back pain disability than previous samples studied, perhaps due to differences in study design and sample characteristics. Rates of low mood and anxious thoughts indicate a need for future research to explore psychological factors among persons seeking chiropractic care.
Chiropractic, Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Mégane Pasquier, Catherine Daneau, Andrée-Anne Marchand
et al.
Abstract Introduction The burden of musculoskeletal disorders increases every year, with low back and neck pain being the most frequently reported conditions for seeking manual therapy treatment. In recent years, manual therapy research has begun exploring the dose-response relationship between spinal manipulation treatment characteristics and both clinical and physiological response to treatment. Objective The purpose of this scoping review was to identify and appraise the current state of scientific knowledge regarding the effects of spinal manipulation frequency and dosage on both clinical and physiological responses. Methods A scoping review was conducted to identify all available studies pertaining to our research question. Retrieved papers were screened using a 2-phase method, a selective sorting with titles and abstracts. Potentially relevant studies were read, and data was extracted for all included studies. Randomized control trials were assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for quality assessment. Results The search yielded 4854 publications from which 32 were included for analysis. Results were sorted by dosage or frequency outcomes, and divided into human or animal studies. Animal studies mainly focused on dosage and evaluated physiological outcomes only. Studies investigating spinal manipulation dosage effects involved both human and animal research, and showed that varying thrust forces, or thrust durations can impact vertebral displacement, muscular response amplitude or muscle spindle activity. Risk of bias analysis indicated only two clinical trials assessing frequency effects presented a low risk of bias. Although trends in improvement were observed and indicated that increasing the number of SM visits in a short period of time (few weeks) decreased pain and improve disability, the differences between the studied treatment frequencies, were often not statistically significant and therefore not clinically meaningful. Conclusion The results of this study showed that SM dosage and frequency effects have been mostly studied over the past two decades. Definitions for these two concepts however differ across studies. Overall, the results showed that treatment frequency does not significantly affect clinical outcomes during and following a SM treatment period. Dosage effects clearly influence short-term physiological responses to SM treatment, but relationships between these responses and clinical outcomes remains to be investigated.
Chiropractic, Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Abstract Background Clinical teaching evaluations are common in health profession education programs to ensure students are receiving a quality clinical education experience. Questionnaires students use to evaluate their clinical teachers have been developed in professions such as medicine and nursing. The development of a questionnaire that is specifically for the osteopathy on-campus, student-led clinic environment is warranted. Previous work developed the 30-item Osteopathy Clinical Teaching Questionnaire. The current study utilised Rasch analysis to investigate the construct validity of the Osteopathy Clinical Teaching Questionnaire and provide evidence for the validity argument through fit to the Rasch model. Methods Senior osteopathy students at four institutions in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom rated their clinical teachers using the Osteopathy Clinical Teaching Questionnaire. Three hundred and ninety-nine valid responses were received and the data were evaluated for fit to the Rasch model. Reliability estimations (Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega) were also evaluated for the final model. Results The initial analysis demonstrated the data did not fit the Rasch model. Accordingly, modifications to the questionnaire were made including removing items, removing person responses, and rescoring one item. The final model contained 12 items and fit to the Rasch model was adequate. Support for unidimensionality was demonstrated through both the Principal Components Analysis/t-test, and the Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega reliability estimates. Analysis of the questionnaire using McDonald’s omega hierarchical supported a general factor (quality of clinical teaching in osteopathy). Conclusion The evidence for unidimensionality and the presence of a general factor support the calculation of a total score for the questionnaire as a sufficient statistic. Further work is now required to investigate the reliability of the 12-item Osteopathy Clinical Teaching Questionnaire to provide evidence for the validity argument.
Chiropractic, Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Credit-module system of education requires students and teachers to accumulate attention only to the most essential moments of theoretical and practical training, as they are working independently on a large percentage of the material. Practical training skills are an essential element of the future dentist as it is necessary for the practice of a doctor. We recommend using stepwise formation of «mental actions and ideas» for automated formation of practical skills. When using the existing system of preparation of students for learning and skills in dental surgery is often marked by low absorption material of students. The main reason for this situation is the lack of pedagogically based methods which would allow proving the formation of separate techniques to automatism. Our research has been devoted to developing methods of directed formation of practical knowledge and skills in dental surgery for the learning environment of students for credit-modular system. 60 students of IV course were randomly selected and divided into two equal groups. To students of the first group (30 people) teacher explained the importance of practical skills and handed specified manipulation scheme. Traditional education was performed with the students of the second group (30 people): the teacher explained the meaning of manipulation, and then slowly showed it on waxwork.
We conducted comparison of successful mastering of practical skills and the length of time that teacher spent during developing in students sustained automated skills.
The results showed that 98.0% of students had done a practical skill correctly from the first time and only in 34.3% of students in the second group developed an automated resistant skill. The technique is an effective mean of formation directed at students’ chiropractic complex actions. Creating schemes of action in a particular manipulation helps during the workshops on credit system.
Kelvin J. Murray, Michael R. Le Grande, Arantxa Ortega de Mues
et al.
Abstract Background Degenerative joint disease (DJD) in the lumbar spine is a common condition that is associated with chronic low back pain. Excessive loading of lumbar joints is a risk factor for DJD. Changes in lumbar lordosis significantly redistribute the forces of weight-bearing on the facet joints and the intervertebral discs. However, the relationship between lumbar lordosis and DJD has not been characterized in men and women. Methods We characterised the correlation between standing lumbar lordosis and DJD in standing radiographic images from 301 adult female and male chiropractic patients. DJD was rated using the Kellgren-Lawrence scale, and lordosis was measured using the Cobb angle. Linear and curvilinear correlations were investigated while controlling for age and sex. Results We found a highly significant curvilinear correlation between lordosis and DJD of the lower lumbar spine in both sexes, but especially in women, irrespective of the effects of age. We found the effect size of lordosis on lower lumbar DJD to be between 17.4 and 18.1% in women and 12.9% in older men. In addition, lordosis of 65 (95% CI 55.3–77.7) and 68 (98% CI 58.7–73.3) degrees were associated with minimal DJD in the lower lumbar spine of women and men respectively, and were therefore considered ‘optimal’. This optimal lordotic angle was 73 (95% CI 58.8–87.2) degrees in older men. Conclusions Both hypo- and hyper-lordosis correlate with DJD in the lumbar spine, particularly in women and in older men. These findings may well be of relevance to spinal pain management and spinal rehabilitation.