THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OSTEOPATHIC MANIPULATIVE TREATMENT FOR MECHANICAL LOW BACK PAIN

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Introduction. Low back pain is a common complaint in primary care. Although pharmaceutical interventions are considered first line treatment, many patients report the pain does not fully resolve with their use alone. Persistent symptoms often lead to invasive procedures that often have variable efficacy. Case presentation. A 35 year-old hispanic male presented with a recent relapse of Mechanical Low Back Pain (MLBP). His symptoms included constant stabbing pain radiating down his lateral left thigh and leg, accompanied with a positive bilateral straight leg raise. A specific Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) protocol was performed a total of 5 times over an 8-week period, which targeted several areas of somatic dysfunction. Results were evaluated using the Visual Analog Pain Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) showing a decrease in both pain and functional disabilities over the course of treatment. Deviation From the Expected. Standard therapies have not been able to resolve the patient's symptoms, including a laminectomy and pharmaceutical treatments. Discussion. Through VAS and ODI scoring, diminished pain and functional disability of the patient was noted throughout the course of treatment. Besides the OMT protocol deployed, the improvement could be attributed the body’s natural healing process following injury. Conclusion. Numerous studies have analyzed the efficacy of OMT treatment in the management of MLBP. Results from this case provide evidence to support that claim that OMT is a viable non-invasive treatment option for reduction of pain for people suffering with chronic MLBP with acute flare-ups. Grants. No funding received.