Peripheral oxidative stress blood markers in patients with chronic back or neck pain treated with high-velocity, low-amplitude manipulation.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate oxidative-stress parameters in individuals with chronic neck or back pain after 5 weeks of treatment with high-velocity, low-amplitude (HVLA) spinal manipulation.

METHODS: Twenty-three individuals aged 38.2 ± 11.7 years with nonspecific chronic neck or back pain verified by the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Chronic Pain Grade, with a sedentary lifestyle, no comorbidities, and not in adjuvant therapy, underwent treatment with HVLA chiropractic manipulation twice weekly for 5 weeks. Therapeutic procedures were carried out by an experienced chiropractor. Blood samples were assessed before and after treatment to determine the activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and the levels of nitric oxide metabolites and lipid hydroperoxides. These blood markers were analyzed by paired Student t test. Differences were considered statistically significant, when P was <.05.

RESULTS: There was no change in catalase but an increase in SOD (0.35 ± 0.03 U SOD per milligram of protein vs 0.44 ± 0.04 U SOD per milligram of protein; P < .05) and GPx (7.91 ± 0.61 nmol/min per milligram of protein vs 14.07 ± 1.07 nmol/min per milligram of protein; P < .001) activities after the treatment. The nitric oxide metabolites and the lipid hydroperoxides did not change after treatment.

CONCLUSION: High-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation twice weekly for 5 weeks increases the SOD and GPx activities. Previous studies have shown a relationship between pain and oxidative and nitrosative parameters; thus, it is possible that changes in these enzymes might be related to the analgesic effect of HVLA spinal manipulation.