Explore the critical link between spinal manipulative therapy and the likelihood of needing a second surgery after a lumbar discectomy, as we delve into the latest findings from a revealing retrospective cohort study.
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Association between spinal manipulative therapy and lumbar spine reoperation after discectomy: a retrospective cohort study.
Trager et al., BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2024
DOI: 10.1186/s12891-024-07166-x
What’s New: The study suggests that spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) may reduce the need for reoperation in patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy (LSR) following lumbar discectomy.
Importance: This finding is significant as it offers a potential non-surgical intervention to improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden of additional surgeries.
Contribution to Literature: The research contributes to the understanding of alternative postoperative care strategies, highlighting the potential benefits of SMT in the management of LSR after lumbar discectomy.
Results Summary: After propensity matching, each cohort had 378 patients with a mean age of 61 years. The SMT cohort had a lower reoperation rate (7%) compared to the usual care cohort (13%), with a risk ratio (RR) of 0.55 (95% confidence intervals (CIs): 0.35-0.85; P = 0.0062). In the SMT group, 72% had at least one follow-up visit, with a median of 6 visits.
Study Limitations: The authors note that further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and to assess pain, disability, and safety outcomes. They also acknowledge that the results may be influenced by the general effect of engaging with a non-surgical clinician, which could be similar across other treatments like physical therapy or acupuncture.
Access to Data: The data is available on the Open Science Framework platform (https://osf.io/vgrwz).