2 for Low Back Pain

The specific aims of this research project are to determine feasibility of, and the comparative treatment effect size for, conducting a larger clinical trial of Manual/Manipulative Therapy (M/MT) in restoring peak performance in military personnel in operational environments and to evaluate the ability of the addition of M/MT to standard care to decrease pain and increase function for patients with low back pain. The following two hypotheses will guide the data collection: 1. The primary hypothesis is that the addition of acourse of M/MT to standard care for low back pain will decrease pain at 4 weeks when compared to standard care alone 2. In addition, the secondary hypothesis will be that the addition of a course of M/MT to standard care for low back pain will decrease pain and increase function over 2 and 4 weeks when compared to standard care alone