title: Does folk medicine work? A randomized clinical trial on patients with prolonged back pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether traditional bone-setting or continuous light exercise therapy could case back pain and improve function better than ordinary physiotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observer-blinded, randomized clinical trial with a 6-month follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  An outpatient institution for folk medicine research.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 147 back pain patients recruited from local health centers and by newspaper announcements, 132 were found eligible (non-retired-no contraindications to manipulation) and entered. A final 114 (one dropout) with back pain for longer than 7 weeks were included in this intent to treat analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bone-setting, guidance for continuous light back movements or physiotherapy for up to ten 1-hour sessions during 6 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spinal mobility and muscular performance. Back pain assessed by visual analog scales (VAS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The physical measures changed only modestly, from one tenth to half of standard deviation, while the VAS was halved. The thoracolumbar side-bending, the modified Schober, and the VAS were significantly better improved by bone-setting than by exercise but not better than by physiotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neither bone-setting nor exercise differed significantly from physiotherapy, but bone-setting improved lateral and forward bending of the spine and back pain more than did exercise.
authors.affiliation: Folk Medicine Centre, Kaustines, Finland.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Hemmilä
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levoska
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001416:Back Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008349:Manipulation, Orthopedic; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D016037:Single-Blind Method