Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment for Nonspecific Subacute and Chronic Low Back Pain

Data are scant regarding the efficacy of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) for reducing pain and disability in patients with nonspecific subacute and chronic low back pain. In this trial, French researchers randomly assigned 400 participants (median age, 50) with subacute or chronic low back pain (mean pain duration, 7.5 months) to six sessions of standard OMT or sham OMT (i.e., light touch with similar contact time) during 12 weeks; OMT was provided by nonphysician, nonphysiotherapist osteopathic practitioners.

At baseline, mean score was 29 on the 100-pointQuebec Back Pain Disability Index. At 3 months, the standard-OMT group had a significantly greater mean reduction in this score than the sham-OMT group did (−4.7 vs. −1.3 points);…