Evaluation of lumbosacral manipulation on motoneuronal activity in patients with low back pain

Abstract

Background: Spinal manipulation is a manual technique commonly used for the treatment of low back pain. The physiologic mechanisms of spinal manipulation are largely unknown. One basic physiologic response to spinal manipulation (SM) is alternation in motoneuronal activity, as assessed by the Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex) technique. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of spinal manipulation on amplitude and onset latency of H-reflexes and on H/M amplitude ratio in patients with low back pain.