Managing Low Back Pain in Older Adults
Health scientist Alan Jenks conducted an individual participant data meta-analysis and shows that spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) provides similar outcomes for pain and function as recommended therapies like exercise.
Chiropractic care for low back pain (LBP) in older adults is effective and safe, with improvements seen in pain and functional status, especially within the first three months of care. Three main pain trajectories were observed: improvement from severe pain, improvement from moderate pain, and stable moderate pain; most older adults improve, but a subset remain stable or worsen over a year. Measurement tools (RMDQ, ODI, QBPDS) are reliable for tracking disability in this population. Healthcare utilization is high, with varied use of medical and complementary services but few adverse events. More research on identifying which older adults benefit most from specific treatments is needed.
The study shows that the recovery process varies from person to person. Some of the older adults who visited a chiropractor for low back pain experienced improvements in pain and function, especially in the first few months after starting treatment. Others noticed little change or experienced an increase in symptoms. This underscores that results can vary from person to person, and additional support or other treatments may be necessary. It is important that older adults and their families find the approach that works best for them and discuss their choices with healthcare providers.
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