Linda R.
Van Dillen
, Katrina S. Maluf and Shirley A. Sahrmann
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of modifying symptomatic movement and alignment tests in a sample of 51 people with LBP. The examination included 28 primary tests in which patients used their preferred movement or alignment strategy and reported symptoms. Symptomatic tests were followed by a secondary test in which the patient's strategy was standardly modified to correct the spinal alignment or movement that occurred with the primary test. Symptoms and directions of movement or alignment modified were recorded. For 82% of the secondary tests, the majority of the patients’ symptoms improved.
The results from this study highlight the importance of movement and alignment modification to eliminate symptoms during clinical examination. Information obtained from the modifications can be used to confirm the patient's LBP classification and immediately be used to teach the patient strategies to change movements and positions that appear to be contributing to his LBP.
Manual Therapy, Nov 2007, online article ahead of press