Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics
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J Manipulative Physiol Ther · Oct 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyQuantification of cavitation and gapping of lumbar zygapophyseal joints during spinal manipulative therapy.
The purpose of this study was to use previously validated methods to quantify and relate 2 phenomena associated with chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy (SMT): (1) cavitation and (2) the simultaneous gapping (separation) of the lumbar zygapophyseal (Z) joint spaces. ⋯ Zygapophyseal joints receiving chiropractic SMT gapped more than those receiving SPP alone; Z joints of men gapped more than those of women, and cavitation indicated that a joint had gapped but not how much a joint had gapped.