Manipulation is a technique used by physical therapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, massage therapists, and others to treat acute and chronic back pain. It involves moving a joint (spinal column) beyond the normal range of voluntary movement.
In clinical trials of people who had back pain for more than 4 weeks, manipulation was found to be safe and as effective as "conventional" treatments (eg, pain medication, rest, exercise) . The optimal number of manipulations is not known; most clinical trials used two treatments per week for two to three weeks.
