Abstract
M.Tech. (Chiropractic)
Chronic lower back pain is a very common condition affecting 60-80%
of the worlds’ population at sometime in their lives. Manual therapy, including
chiropractic manipulation, has been proven to be very successful in the treatment
of chronic lower back pain and reduction in muscle tension. Although chiropractic
treatment alone is effective in the treatment of chronic lower back pain,
chiropractors often search for adjunctive modalities to enhance the positive
outcomes of their treatment. Kinesio® tape application to the lumbar para-spinal
muscles has been proven to be effective in increasing lumbar range of motion and
in decreasing lower back pain. The purpose of this study was to determine
whether the combination of Chiropractic manipulation and Kinesio® taping of the
lumbar para-spinals is a more efficient, and possibly effective, treatment protocol
in the treatment of chronic lower back pain.
Method: This study was a comparative study and consisted of three groups of ten
participants. The participants were between the ages of eighteen and forty years of
age, with a male to female ration of 1:1. The potential participants were examined
and accepted according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Group 1 received
chiropractic manipulative therapy to the lumbar spine and sacroiliac joints. Group
2 only received the application of Kinesio® tape to the lumbar para-spinal
muscles. Group 3 was the combination group, and received chiropractic
manipulative therapy to the lumbar spine and sacroiliac joints together with the
application of Kinesio® tape to the lumbar para-spinal muscles. Subjective
measurements consisted of the Numerical Pain Rating Scale and the Oswestry
Pain and Disability Index and objective measurements was range of motion of the
lumbar spine.
Procedure: Treatment consisted of seven consultations over a three week period.
Objective and subjective readings were taken at the beginning of the first, fourth
and seventh consultations before treatment. Subjective readings were taken from
the Numerical Pain Rating scale and the Oswestry Pain and Disability index.Objective Readings were taken from measurements taken from the Digital
Inclinometer device measuring lumbar range of motion. At the first to sixth
consultation participants each received their groups’ specific treatment protocol,
the seventh consultation consisted of data collection only.