Immediate biomechanical impact of segmental thrust manipulation versus sham manipulation on thoracic vertebral alignment Sofortige biomechanische Auswirkungen der segmentalen Thrust-Manipulation İm Vergleich zur Scheinmanipulation auf die thorakale Wirbelausrichtung
Manuelle Medizin, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s00337-026-01239-9
- Dergi Adı: Manuelle Medizin
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Kinematics, Biomechanic, Manual therapy, Spinal manipulation, Sham treatment
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Aim: The ongoing debate surrounding spinal vertebral manipulation revolves around whether the observed effects result from an actual mechanical change in vertebral segmental position or if they are attributed to the placebo effect of manipulation and the audible “click” sound originating from the vertebral joint. Methods: This single-blinded, randomized controlled trial included 28 male athletes, divided into intervention and sham groups. The intervention group received thoracic spine thrust manipulation, while the sham group underwent identical positioning without thrust application. Vertebral alignment in the thoracic and lumbar regions was assessed pre- and post-treatment using stereophotogrammetric surface analysis in a standing position. Results: Thoracic thrust manipulation led to a statistically significant acute decrease in the maximum kyphotic angle (from 52.2 ± 9.2° to 49.3 ± 8.5°, p = 0.05) and vertebral rotation in the horizontal plane (−1.7 ± 6° to −1.2 ± 5°, p = 0.03) compared to the sham group. No significant changes were found in the maximum value of the lordotic angle, sagittal shift, or coronal shift (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The true acute kinematic effects of thoracic high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust practices are observed within the targeted thoracal region and do not significantly instant impact in lumbar segments indirectly. While this finding may not provide precise information about the therapeutic efficacy of vertebral manipulation, it can still be valuable for clinicians and researchers in understanding the mechanism of action behind spinal manipulation and in comparing its biomechanical effects with placebo therapies.