Abstract
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of chiropractic manipulation to the thoracic spine and ribs on pulmonary function in first year emergency medical care students. METHOD: This was a randomised, non-blinded, comparative intervention study. The study included a single intervention applied to a single group as well as a control group who received no intervention. Thirty healthy, first year students enrolled for the Bachelor of Health Sciences in Emergency Medical Care at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) participated in this study. Participants were randomly divided into two groups of fifteen. One group of participants received chiropractic manipulation applied to restrictions of motion of the thoracic spine and ribs. The other group of participants received no intervention. PROCEDURE: Objective data consisted of spirometry readings of forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). The objective data was collected using the Contec™ SP 10 W handheld spirometer. Participants in the intervention group (Group A) received six treatments of chiropractic manipulation to the thoracic spine and ribs. Spirometry readings for FVC and FEV1 were taken on consultation One, Four and Seven. Participants in the control group did not receive any treatment and spirometry readings were taken three times, which coincided with the timeline of consultations One, Four and Seven of the intervention group. The data was collected by the researcher and analysed by a biometric statistician. RESULTS: The statistical data was analysed using the two-sample dependent t-test, the linear mixed model (REML) analysis and the ANOVA analysis. Changes in FVC in both groups were statistically insignificant (p>0.05); however, the difference between groups for FEV1 at consultation seven was statistically significant (p≤0.05). FEV1 in the intervention group vii increased by 80 millilitres (mls) compared to a decrease of 40 mls in the control group. CONCLUSION: The results of the clinical study indicated improvement in FEV1 of the intervention group and a statistically significant difference between groups at consultation Seven. The results of this study were not conclusive; however, chiropractic manipulation applied to the thoracic spine and ribs seem to have a positive effect on FEV1 in healthy individuals. Chiropractic manipulation may be a useful auxiliary intervention to assist emergency care providers in obtaining optimal pulmonary function.
M.Tech. (Chiropractic)