Effects of adding sacral base leveling to osteopathic manipulative treatment of back pain: a pilot study.

A selected group of patients with sacral base unleveling greater than 2 mm were studied to determine the effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) and heel lifting on chronic low-back pain. The McGill-Melzack Pain Questionnaire administered by trained personnel was used to assess the patient's pain before and after treatments. Five patients with no experience with manual treatment were treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and OMT for restrictions in spinal motion. Their improvement was statistically significant. Seven patients who had been treated previously with OMT and NSAIDs received heel lifts of graduated thickness until the sacral base was within 2 mm of being level. Attaining a "level" sacral base with heel lifts also provided a statistically significant relief from low-back pain.