Spinal manipulation is one of the most researched treatments in physical therapy for low back pain, and the evidence base has grown enough to say something specific: it works differently, and slightly better, depending on whether your pain is new or long-standing. What Spinal Manipulation Actually Does Spinal manipulation is a quick, targeted thrust applied...
Spinal manipulation dates back to Hippocrates and ancient Egyptian medicine, but the explanation for why it helps has changed more recently than the treatment itself. Patients often describe it the same way: “my spine was out of place, and the manipulation put it back.” Research has disproven that theory. Imaging taken before and after a...
Spinal manipulation has a solid evidence base for musculoskeletal pain: our articles on manipulation for low back pain and the best treatments for low back pain cover that research directly. The evidence looks very different once you move outside pain and mobility conditions and into the theory that manipulating the spine can influence internal organs...
Sciatica is an umbrella term for leg symptoms, pain, numbness, or tingling, caused by irritation or compression of a nerve root as it exits the spine. Most cases resolve with conservative care, and in our Boulder and Lafayette clinics, that usually means a combination of focused exercise, dry needling, and manual therapy. Spinal manipulation is...
A stiff neck can turn ordinary movements into a problem: checking a blind spot, reaching for the overhead bin, even rolling over in bed. The right treatment depends on what’s driving it. A neck that seized up after an awkward night’s sleep often clears on its own in a day or two. Neck pain that...
For most people with low back pain, the treatments with the strongest support are hands-on joint mobilization or manipulation to calm pain early, followed by progressive exercise to build capacity and keep it from coming back. That is the core finding of the current clinical practice guideline for physical therapists, published by George and colleagues...
Headaches are one of the most common reasons patients seek care by a Physical Therapist. In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy practices we have found optimal outcomes and fewer visits for treating many headaches types including cervicogenic headaches. These headaches are driven from the neck (cervical spine) and cause pain referral to...
By: Kristin Carpenter, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT Low back pain affects 60–80% of people at some point in their lives (Roth, 2022). For athletes and active adults in Boulder County, back pain can be especially frustrating because it interferes with training, outdoor activities, and performance. Whether you enjoy barbell training, cycling, running, skiing, or CrossFit,...
Spinal manipulation, dating at least to Hippocrates’ writings, is one of the oldest known medical treatments. Currently, these treatments are commonly performed by Physical Therapists, chiropractors, and physicians to treat a variety of musculoskeletal pains. Evidence supporting spinal manipulation is primarily found in three areas: headache, neck pain, and low back pain. This data supports...
Headaches are a common condition reaching greater than 30 billion dollars each year in health care costs. The majority of headaches are multifactorial in nature but can commonly be broken down into tension/myofascial headache, migraine, cluster, and cervicogenic headaches. This finally category of headache includes pain referred to the head by the upper neck joints...
