The biomechanical and analgesic effects of lumbar mobilisations

A common treatment used by physiotherapists for patients with low back pain (LBP) is mobilisations. The aim of applying mobilisations is to increase range of movement (ROM) and reduce pain and stiffness. Therapists choose a specific dose of mobilisation for each patient, which includes a decision on the duration of applied force, commonly up to 3 minutes. Little research has been done to determine the biomechanical and analgesic effects of different durations of treatment. There is tentative evidence that increased duration beyond 3 minutes leads to an increase in range of movement and decrease in pain. This research set out to establish the biomechanical and analgesic effects of longer durations of lumbar mobilisations than commonly used in clinical practice. Only the immediate effects of a single treatment dose have been assessed to date.