ASSESSING SHORT TERM OUTCOMES OF LUMBAR SPINE MANIPULATION FOR FACET JOINT DYSFUNCTION; A PRE-POST ANALYTICAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Low back pain is an important health issue that is occasionally overlooked, lumbar facet dysfunction is a prevalent cause of low back pain. While spinal manipulation is often used in medical settings, little research has been done on the way it works to treat lumbar facet dysfunction. To evaluate the effects of a lumbar spine manipulation in a single session on pain intensity and functional mobility in patients diagnosed with lumbar facet dysfunction. Patients in the present investigation comprised 24 individuals with proven lumbar facet dysfunction. Range of motion (ROM), the patient Global impression of change (PGIC), and the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) were all employed to assess pain intensity before and following treatment. Means and Standard deviation were calculated. Matched sample statistics were among the statistical analyses. Each participant had a limited range of motion prior to therapy and 75% reported moderate to severe discomfort. After therapy, 79.1% reported little to no pain and 83.3% reported no limitations in function. While ROM increased from a uniform limitation to a mean score of 1.83, the average NPRS score dropped significantly from 3.17 to 2.00. However, 83.3% of patients stated that they felt “much better” after therapy. Pain score before and following treatment show a significant correlation (r = 0.708, p < 0.001), as well as limited range of motion (r = 0.430, p < 0.001). In patients with lumbar facet dysfunction, an individual lumbar spine manipulation treatment significantly improved pain levels, functional mobility and patient-perceived medical treatment. The findings indicate that spinal manipulation can improve their quality of life for patients with facet related low back pain while promoting it as an effective conservative therapy preference.