Study design: A prospective, randomized controlled trial.
Objective: To examine long-term effects and costs of combined manipulative treatment, stabilizing exercises, and physician consultation compared with physician consultation alone for chronic low back pain (cLBP).
Summary of background data: An obvious gap exists in knowledge concerning long-term efficacy and cost-effectiveness of manipulative treatment methods.
Methods: Of 204 patients with cLBP whose Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was at least 16%, 102 were randomized into a combined manipulative treatment, exercise, and physician consultation group (i.e., a combination group), and 102 to a consultation alone group. All patients were clinically examined, informed about their back pain, and encouraged to stay active and exercise according to specific instructions based on clinical evaluation. Treatment included 4 sessions of manual therapy and stabilizing exercises aimed at correcting the lumbopelvic rhythm. Questionnaires inquired about pain (visual analog scale (VAS)), disability (ODI), health-related quality of life (15D Quality of Life Instrument), satisfaction with care, and costs.
Results: Significant improvement occurred in both groups on every self-rated outcome measurement. Within 2 years, the combination group showed only a slightly more significant reduction in VAS (P = 0.01, analysis of variance) but clearly higher patient satisfaction (P = 0.001, Pearson chi2) as compared to the consultation group. Incremental analysis showed that for combined group compared to consultation group, a one-point change in VAS scale cost $512.
Conclusions: Physician consultation alone was more cost-effective for both health care use and work absenteeism, and led to equal improvement in disability and health-related quality of life. It seems obvious that encouraging information and advice are major elements for the treatment of patients with cLBP.