G. Bronfort et al., Chronic pediatric asthma and chiropractic spinal manipulation: A prospective clinical series and randomized clinical pilot study, J MANIP PHY, 24(6), 2001, pp. 369-377
Citations number
37
Categorie Soggetti
Ortopedics, Rehabilitation & Sport Medicine
Journal title
JOURNAL OF MANIPULATIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL THERAPEUTICS
Objectives: The first objective was to determine if chiropractic spinal man
ipulative therapy SMT) in addition to optimal medical management resulted i
n clinically important changes in asthma-related outcomes in children. The
second objective was to assess the feasibility of conducting a full-scale,
randomized clinical trial in terms of recruitment, evalu tion treatment and
ability to deliver a sham procedure.
Study Design: Prospective clinical case series combined with an observer-bl
inded, pilot randomized clinical trial with a 1-year follow-up period.
Setting: Primary contact, college outpatient clinic, and a pediatric hospit
al.
Patients: A total of 36 patients aged 6 to 17 years with mild and moderate
persistent asthma were admitted to the study,
Outcome Measures: Pulmonary function tests; patient-and parent- or guardian
-rated asthma-specific quality of life, asthma severity, and improvement; A
m and Pm peak expiratory flow rates; and diary-based day and nighttime symp
toms.
Interventions: Twenty chiropractic treatment sessions were scheduled during
the 3-month intervention phase. Patients were randomly assigned to receive
either active SMT or sham SMT in addition to their standardized ongoing me
dical management.
Results. It is possible to blind the participants to the nature of the SMT
intervention, and a full-scale trial with the described design is feasible
to conduct. At the end of the 12-week intervention phase, objective lung fu
nction tests and patient-rated day and nighttime symptoms based on diary re
cordings showed little or no change. Of the patient-rated measures, a reduc
tion of approximately 20% in beta (2) bronchodilator use was seen (P = .10)
. The quality of life scores improved by 10% to 28% (P < .01), with the act
ivity scale showing the most change. Asthma severity ratings showed a reduc
tion of 39% (P < .001), and there was an overall improvement rating corresp
onding to 50% to 75%. The pulmonologist-rated improvement was small. Simila
rly, the improvements in parent- or guardian-rated outcomes were mostly sma
ll and not statistically significant. The changes in patient-rated severity
and the improvement rating remained unchanged at 12-month posttreatment fo
llow-up as assessed by a brief postal questionnaire.
Conclusion. After 3 months of combining chiropractic SMT with optimal medic
al management for pediatric asthma, the children rated their quality of lif
e substantially higher and their asthma severity substantially lower. These
improvements were maintained at the 1-year follow-up assessment. There wer
e no important changes in lung function or hyperresponsiveness at any time.
The observed improvements are unlikely as a result of the specific effects
of chiropractic SMT alone, but other aspects of the clinical encounter tha
t should not be dismissed readily. Further research is needed to assess whi
ch components of the chiropractic encounter are responsible for important i
mprovements in patient-oriented outcomes so that they may be incorporated i
nto the care of all patients with asthma.