Annals of internal medicine
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Review Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Spinal manipulative therapy for low back pain. A meta-analysis of effectiveness relative to other therapies.
Low back pain is a costly illness for which spinal manipulative therapy is commonly recommended. Previous systematic reviews and practice guidelines have reached discordant results on the effectiveness of this therapy for low back pain. ⋯ There is no evidence that spinal manipulative therapy is superior to other standard treatments for patients with acute or chronic low back pain.
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Over the past decade, noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NPPV) in the setting of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has increased in popularity. Although several trials have been published on the relative effectiveness of this treatment, apparent inconsistencies in study results remain. ⋯ Patients with severe exacerbations of COPD benefit from the addition of NPPV to standard therapy. However, NPPV has not been shown to benefit hospitalized patients with milder COPD exacerbations.