OBJECTIVE: This article examines the effectiveness of manual therapy with specific adjuvant exercise for treating chronic low back pain and disability. METHODS: A single blind, randomized, controlled trial was employed. Patients were prescribed an exercise program that was tailored to treat their musculoskeletal dysfunctions or given a nonspecific program of general stretching and aerobic conditioning. In addition, patients received manual therapy or sham manual therapy. Participants were seen for 6 weekly sessions and were asked to perform their exercise program twice daily. RESULTS: Seventy-two out of 100 patients completed the study. Multivariate tests conducted for measures of pain and disability revealed a significant group by time interaction (p = 0.04 and p = 0.05, respectively), indicating differential change in these measures pretreatment to posttreatment as a function of the treatment received. When controlling for pretreatment scores, patients receiving manual therapy with specific adjuvant exercise reported significant reductions in pain. No change in perceived disability was observed, with the exception that patients receiving sham manual therapy with specific adjuvant exercise reported significantly greater disability at posttreatment. DISCUSSION: Manual therapy with specific adjuvant exercise appears to be beneficial in treating chronic low back pain. Despite changes in pain, perceived function did not improve. It is possible that impacting chronic low back pain alone does not address psychosocial or other factors that may contribute to disability. Further studies are needed to examine the long-term effects of these interventions and to address what adjuncts are beneficial in improving function in this population.

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