Key Findings

Short-Term Pain Relief:

• HVLAT resulted in clinically meaningful pain reduction when compared with:
• Sham manipulation
• Physiotherapy alone
• Non-recommended interventions

This effect was most consistent in cervical and lumbar radiculopathy, particularly in the early stages of care.

Improvements in Function:

• Several studies showed reductions in disability, meaning patients were able to:
• Move more freely
• Return to daily activities sooner
• Better tolerate rehabilitation exercises

This supports the idea that pain relief can help unlock active recovery.

No Long-Term Superiority

At longer follow-up periods, spinal manipulation did not outperform other active treatments.