Manual Therapy and Strengthening for the Hip in Older Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain

Manual Therapy and Strengthening for the Hip in Older Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain (MASH): A Randomized Clinical Trial

Older adults with chronic low back pain (LBP) are at a greater risk for disability, loss of independence, and lower quality of life. Experts agree that LBP is not a homogeneous condition, and treatments should differ based upon clinical presentation. One particular subgroup of older adults with chronic LBP are those that also have hip pain and muscle weakness; in addition, many of these individuals have limited and painful movement of the lumbar spine. Our past work indicates that all of these hip and lumbar spine impairments may contribute to worse physical function and greater disability, but the relative importance of each impairment is unclear. Thus, clinicians have limited evidence to draw on for treatment decisions, for this patient population. This randomized clinical trial is designed to explore two different interventions: one that addresses these hip issues (HIP+) and one that focuses more directly on the lumbar spine (SFR). We aim to recruit a sample of 180 older adults who have chronic LBP, as well as hip impairments (i.e. pain and muscle weakness). To ensure our findings are generalizable, the study will be conducted across three sites in different geographical regions: University of Delaware, University of Pittsburgh, and Duke University.

Manual Therapy and Strengthening for the Hip in Older Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain

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