Effects of Chiropractic Care on Cytokine Levels in Multiple Sclerosis
Completed · Not applicable · Has a placebo group
Conditions studied: Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting
In brief
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease associated with an imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory markers (cytokines) resulting in a demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease. There is early evidence that spinal manipulation (chiropractic care) is better than control in influencing immune (cytokine) activity in asymptomatic participants, but few studies have been completed in participants with chronic inflammatory conditions, such as MS. The purpose of this project is to examine the immediate (after a single thoracic spinal manipulation treatment) and summative impact (after 8 thoracic spinal manipulation treatments occurring over 4 weeks) on pro-inflammatory (interleukin (IL) IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-6, Tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and anti-inflammatory (IL-4, IL-10) plasma cytokines 20 minutes and 2 hours after thoracic spinal manipulation in participants diagnosed with neuroinflammatory relapsing-remitting MS (RR-MS). Spinal manipulation treatment will be limited to the thoracic spine. Secondary outcomes will include determining the impact of 8 thoracic spinal manipulations on fatigue, cognitive processing speed, pain, depression, sleep, and motor function through questionnaires and performance of various in assessments such as the timed 25 foot walk test.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT04972929
- Run by
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- People needed
- 26
- Starts
- 2023-09-15
- Expected to finish
- 2025-03-12
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-07-20
Who can join
Age: 18 and older, up to 55. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Age 18 to 55 years
- Physician-confirmed diagnosis of MS within the last 5 years
- Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score below 4 based on Neurostatus-certified examination
- Relapse free in the last 30 days
- No known cardiovascular, pulmonary, or metabolic disease
- Currently on stable FDA-approved disease modifying therapy (eg, interferon beta-1a or beta-1b, natalizumab etc.)
- Naïve to chiropractic care
- No contraindications to spinal manipulation
- Acceptance of informed consent.
- Exclusion criteria include:
- Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic pressure >160 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure >95 mmHg) Any past spinal surgery or recent history of bone fractures
- Pregnancy in the last 12 months
- Unable to understand English or follow simple instruction.
Where it is running
- University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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