OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) in the treatment of an internal organ disorder.

DESIGN: Clinical trial.

SETTING: Medical hospital.

PATIENTS: Eleven adult men and women ranging in age from 18-44 yr with endoscopically confirmed diagnosis of ulcer disease took part in the study as an experimental group. The outcome of 24 cases of uncomplicated ulcerous disease treated by usual medical methods was analyzed as a control.

INTERVENTIONS: The experimental group received spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) treatment from 5-22 days with a range of 3-14 procedures. The control group received traditional medical treatment (drug therapy and diet). The dietary regimen was standard for both groups.

MEASUREMENTS: The effectiveness of the treatment was evaluated using clinical parameters and endoscopic examination performed weekly.

MAIN RESULTS: The use of SMT resulted in pain relief after 1-9 (avg. 3.8) days and clinical remission an average of 10 days earlier than traditional care.

CONCLUSIONS: Chiropractic practice often includes patients with gastrointestinal problems who report some relief of their symptoms after treatment; however, the physiological basis for these results has yet to be established. The normalization in segmental trophic innervation of the mucosal layer of the intestine, and positive reaction of the whole body, are under discussion as a possible mechanism for the treatment effect.

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