Osteopathic manipulation does not reduce chronic low back pain, although it may have a small effect on disability scores, French researchers say.

Their study shows that six fortnightly sessions of osteopathic manipulative treatment from qualified osteopaths (who were not also doctors) did not result in significantly lower pain levels than the matched controls who received sham (light touch) osteopathic treatment.

However, the 200 patients who underwent manipulation reported a statistically significant greater reduction in disability due to their pain when followed-up at three and 12 months.

But the clinical relevance of the reductions of 3.4 and 4.3 points respectively on the Quebec Back Pain Disability index (QBPDI, 0-100, with higher scores worse) in favour of real osteopathic treatment was “questionable”, the authors said.