Effect of spinal manipulative therapy with stretching compared with stretching alone on full-swing performance of golf players: a randomized pilot trial☆
Received 2 July 2007; received in revised form 27 May 2009; accepted 9 June 2009.
Abstract
Objective
There has been a steady growth of chiropractic treatment using spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) that aims to increase the performance of athletes in various sports. This study evaluates the effect of SMT by chiropractors on the performance of golf players.
Methods
Golfers of 2 golf clubs in São Paulo, Brazil, participated in this study. They were randomized to 1 of 2 groups: Group I received a stretch program, and group II received a stretch program in addition to SMT. Participants in both groups performed the same standardized stretching program. Spinal manipulative therapy to dysfunctional spinal segments was performed on group II only. All golfers performed 3 full-swing maneuvers. Ball range was considered as the average distance for the 3 shots. Treatment was performed after the initial measurement, and the same maneuvers were performed afterward. Each participant repeated these procedures for a 4-week period. Student t test, Mann-Whitney nonparametric test, and 1-way analysis of variance for repeated measures with significance level of 5% were used to analyze the study.
Results
Forty-three golfers completed the protocol. Twenty participants were allocated to group I and 23 to group II. Average age, handicap, and initial swing were comparable. No improvement of full-swing performance was observed during the 4 sessions on group I (stretch only). An improvement was observed at the fourth session of group II (P = .005); when comparing the posttreatment, group II had statistical significance at all phases (P = .003).
Conclusions
Chiropractic SMT in association with muscle stretching may be associated with an improvement of full-swing performance when compared with muscle stretching alone.
aChiropractor, Private Practice, Homecare, São Paulo, Brazil
bChiropractor, Private Practice, Chibana Chiropractic, Yokohama, Japan
cProfessor, Health Department, Anhembi Morumbi University, São Paulo, Brazil
dAssistant Professor and Chiropractor, Chiropractic Department, Anhembi Morumbi University, São Paulo, Brazil; Private Practice, Clínica Privada de Quiropraxia, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
fChiropractor, Clínica Internacional da Coluna, Brazilia, Brazil
gAssistant Professor and Chiropractor, Chiropractic Department, Anhembi Morumbi University, São Paulo, Brazil; Private Practice, Axis Clinica da Coluna, São Paulo, Brazil
Corresponding author. Av Prof Francisco Morato, 2203 Butantã, São Paulo-SP 05523-300 Brazil. Tel.: +55 11 98833674; fax: +55 11 2157-7020.
☆ No funding sources or conflicts of interest were reported for this study.
ABSTRACT