Chiropractic manipulation in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: a pilot study

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Chiropractic manipulation in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: a pilot study
Received February 12, 2006; Accepted August 21, 2006.
Published online 2006 August 21
Dale E Rowe,1 Ronald J Feise,2 Edward R Crowther,3 Jaroslaw P Grod,3 J Michael Menke,4 Charles H Goldsmith,5 Michael R Stoline,6 Thomas A Souza,7 and Brandon Kambach1
Chiropractic Osteopathy
PubMed Central

Copyright © 2006 Rowe et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

1Kalamazoo Center of Medical Studies, Michigan State University, 1000 Oakland Drive, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
2Institute of Evidence-Based Chiropractic, 6252 Rookery Road, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
3Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, 6100 Leslie Street, Toronto, Ontario, USA
4Program in Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona, 1503 East University Boulevard, Tucson, Arizona, USA
5McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, USA
6Western Michigan University, 1903 West Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
7Palmer-West College of Chiropractic, 90 East Tasman Drive, San Jose, California, USA
Corresponding author.
Dale E Rowe: rowe@kcms.msu.edu; Ronald J Feise: rjf@chiroevidence.com; Edward R Crowther: crowther@cmcc.ca; Jaroslaw P Grod: jgrod@cmcc.ca; J Michael Menke: menke@u.arizona.edu; Charles H Goldsmith: goldsmit@mcmaster.ca; Michael R Stoline: stoline@wmich.edu; Thomas A Souza: souza_t@palmer.edu; Brandon Kambach: kambach@kcms.msu.edu

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Abstract
Background
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) remains the most common deforming orthopedic condition in children. Increasingly, both adults and children are seeking complementary and alternative therapy, including chiropractic treatment, for a wide variety of health concerns. The scientific evidence supporting the use chiropractic intervention is inadequate. The purpose of this study was to conduct a pilot study and explore issues of safety, patient recruitment and compliance, treatment standardization, sham treatment refinement, inter-professional cooperation, quality assurance, and outcome measure selection.

Methods
Six patients participated in this 6-month study, 5 of whom were female. One female was braced. The mean age of these patients was 14 years, and the mean Cobb angle was 22.2 degrees. The study design was a randomized controlled clinical trial with two independent and blinded observers. Three patients were treated by standard medical care (observation or brace treatment), two were treated with standard medical care plus chiropractic manipulation, and one was treated with standard medical care plus sham manipulation. The primary outcome measure was Cobb, and the psychosocial measure was Scoliosis Quality of Life Index.

Results
Orthopedic surgeons and chiropractors were easily recruited and worked cooperatively throughout the trial. Patient recruitment and compliance was good. Chiropractic treatments were safely employed, and research protocols were successful.

Conclusion
Overall, our pilot study showed the viability for a larger randomized trial. This pilot confirms the strength of existing protocols with amendments for use in a full randomized controlled trial.

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