Effects of Chiropractic Care on Cytokine Levels in Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting focused on measuring chiropractic, spinal manipulation, multiple sclerosis, cytokines
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age 18 to 55 years
- Physician-confirmed diagnosis of MS within the last 5 years
- Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score below 4 based on Neurostatus-certified examination
- Relapse free in the last 30 days
- No known cardiovascular, pulmonary, or metabolic disease
- Currently on stable FDA-approved disease modifying therapy (eg, interferon beta-1a or beta-1b, natalizumab etc.)
- Naïve to chiropractic care
- No contraindications to spinal manipulation
- Acceptance of informed consent.
Exclusion criteria include:
- Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic pressure >160 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure >95 mmHg) Any past spinal surgery or recent history of bone fractures
- Pregnancy in the last 12 months
- Unable to understand English or follow simple instruction.
Sites / Locations
- University of Alabama at BirminghamRecruiting
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Sham Comparator
Spinal Manipulation
Sham Spinal Manipulation
The spinal manipulation (SM) group will receive manually delivered SM limited to the thoracic spine.
Sham-spinal manipulation will be delivered by setting the expansion control knob on an Activator II (Activator Methods®) device to the zero position (off; no thrust) and placed onto the dorsal thumb surface of the clinician. At a setting of zero, no excursion of the Activator II stylus occurs, despite the device delivering an audible clicking sound, with no biomechanical force being imparted.