The effect of the activator adjusting instrument in the treatment of chronic sacroiliac joint syndrome

Abstract

Objective : Low back pain (LBP), and in particular sacroiliac joint syndrome, is a significant health concern for both patient and their chiropractor with regards to quality of life and work related musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore, chiropractors often utilise mechanical aids to reduce the impact on the chiropractor’s health. It is, however, important to establish whether these mechanical aids are indeed clinically effective, therefore, this study evaluated the Activator Adjusting Instrument (AAI) against an AAI placebo to determine whether this adjusting instrument is an effective aid for both the chiropractor and the patient. Method : This randomised, placebo controlled clinical trial consisted of 40 patients (20 per group), screened by stringent inclusion criteria assessed through a telephonic and clinical assessment screen. Post receipt of informed consent from the patients, measurements (NRS, Revised Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, algometer) were taken at baseline, prior to consultation three and at the follow consultation. This procedure occurred with four interventions over a two week period. Results: The AAI group showed clinical significance for all clinical measures as compared to the AAI placebo group which attained clinical significance only for the Revised Oswestry Disability Questionnaire. By comparison there was only a statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of the algometer readings (p= 0.037). Conclusion : Therefore, it is evident that the AAI seems to have clinical benefit beyond a placebo. However this is not reflected in the statistical analysis. It is, therefore, suggested that this study be repeated with a larger sample size in order to verify the effect on the statistical analysis outcomes.