title: Utility of craniosacral therapy in treatment of patients with non-specific low back pain. Preliminary report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-specific low back pain is an increasingly common musculoskeletal ailment. The aim of this study was to examine the utility of craniosacral therapy techniques in the treatment of patients with lumbosacral spine overload and to compare its effectiveness to that of trigger point therapy, which is a recognised therapeutic approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study enrolled 55 randomly selected patients (aged 24-47 years) with low back pain due to overload. Other causes of this condition in the patients were ruled out. The participants were again randomly assigned to two groups: patients treated with craniosacral therapy (G-CST) and patients treated with trigger point therapy (G-TPT). Multiple aspects of the effectiveness of both therapies were evaluated with the use of: an analogue scale for pain (VAS) and a modified Laitinen questionnaire, the Schober test and surface electromyography of the multifidus muscle. The statistical analysis of the outcomes was based on the basic statistics, the Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon's signed rank test. The statistical significance level was set at p≤0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups demonstrated a significant reduction of pain measured with the VAS scale and the Laitinen questionnaire. Moreover, the resting bioelectric activity of the multifidus muscle decreased significantly in the G-CST group. The groups did not differ significantly with regard to the study parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1. Craniosacral therapy and trigger point therapy may effectively reduce the intensity and frequency of pain in patients with non-specific low back pain. 2. Craniosacral therapy, unlike trigger point therapy, reduces the resting tension of the multifidus muscle in patients with non-specific lumbosacral pain. The mechanism of these changes requires further research. 3. Craniosacral therapy and trigger point therapy may be clinically effective in the treatment of patients with non-specific lumbosacral spine pain. 4. The present findings represent a basis for conducting further and prospective studies of larger and randomized samples.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rehabilitation, Department of Physiotherapy, 2nd Medical Faculty, Warsaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Białoszewski
authors.affiliation: Craniosacral Therapy Section, Polish Society of Manual Therapy in the Holistic Approach, Sierosław; "Calvamed" Private Physiotherapeutic Practice, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bebelski
authors.affiliation: Division of Rehabilitation, Department of Physiotherapy, 2nd Medical Faculty, Warsaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lewandowska
authors.affiliation: Craniosacral Therapy Section, Polish Society of Manual Therapy in the Holistic Approach, Sierosław; "Calvamed" Private Physiotherapeutic Practice, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Słupik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D064131:Back Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D008161:Lumbosacral Region / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D061028:Trigger Points; D055815:Young Adult