The Effects of Thoracic Manipulation on Peripheral Muscle Oxygenation

Office workers spend 70-85% of their time sitting, which leads to postural disorders and musculoskeletal system diseases. Back pain is the most common health problem among office workers who need to sit. Studies have shown that spinal manipulation can help reduce back pain by decreasing the stiffness of spine segments associated with joint dysfunction. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the effects of thoracic spinal manipulation on peripheral oxygenation, pain, and disability of the back muscles in office workers with back pain, at acute, 10-day, and 4-week follow-up periods. The secondary aim is to evaluate whether the parameters have a significant relationship. The study will include volunteers aged 20-50 who are active office workers with no orthopedic, neurological, or psychological disorders, who have experienced back pain in the last 3 months, and who have a numerical pain scale score of at least 30 mm out of 100 mm. Participants will be randomized into the thoracic spinal manipulation and the control groups. Both groups will receive postural exercises. The thoracic spinal manipulation group will receive a single session of spinal manipulation, while the control group will only receive postural exercises. The study is expected to find significant improvement in peripheral muscle oxygenation, back pain, and disability scores following thoracic spinal manipulation. This study aims to contribute to the literature by focusing on how peripheral muscle oxygenation is affected by thoracic spinal manipulation.