Another study has found a connection between the diaphragm and back pain.
In this study, 66 participants were recruited who had a history of chronic, recurring back pain. Half of these subjects received an osteopathic technique to manipulate their diaphragm. The other half of subjects received a “sham” version of this technique that was meant to induce a comparable placebo effect without actually creating an intervention. These techniques were implemented 5 times over the course of 4 weeks.
The subjects who received the real intervention experienced a significant decrease in pain and disability. Amazingly, this effect was still present 12 weeks after treatment.
Conclusions
Numerous studies are continuously being published linking the diaphragm to back pain. When treating patients, clinicians should consider proper diaphragmatic functioning to be a key priority for optimizing proper movement and preventing pain or injury.
References