Robert Mensor, M.D. orthopedic surgeon, compared the outcomes MUA and laminectomy in patients with lumbar intervertbral disc lesions and found that 83% of MUA patients had good to excellent results while only 51% of the surgical patients reported the same outcome.

Donald Chrisman, M.D. orthopedic surgeon, reported that 51% of patients with unequivocal disc lesions and unrelieved symptoms after conservative care had been rendered reported good to excellent results post MUA at three years follow up.

Bradford & Siehl reported on 723 MUA patients, the largest clinical trial conducted on MUA procedures, that 71% had good results, and that 25% had fair results and 4% ultimately required surgical intervention.

Krunhansl and Nowacek reported on 171 patients who experienced constant intractable pain, of durations fromseveral months to 18 years, and who underwent MUA. All patients had failed at previous conservative interventions. Results reported that post MUA, 25% had no pain at all and were “cured”, 50% were “much improved” with pain markedly reduced and ADLs essentially unaffected, 20% were “better but” pain continued to interfere with activities and finally 5% had minimal or no relief.

West et al reported in a 1998 study of 177 patients that 68.6% of patients out of work returned to unrestricted work activities after a series of three consecutive MUA procedures at 6 months post MUA, that 58.4% of the MUA patients receiving medications prior to the procedure required no prescription medication post procedure and finally that 60.1% of patients with lumbar pain resolved post MUA series of procedures.

In 2002 Palmieri et al demonstrated clinical efficacy of MUA performed in a series of three consecutive procedures. The average Numeric Pain Scale scores in the MUA group decreased by 50%, and the average Roland-Morris Questionnaire scores decreased by 51% compared to controlled group.

Samuel Turek, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, reports in his textbook, Principles and Applications of Orthopedics, that “good to excellent results” can be expected with lumbar herniated nucleus pulposus with manipulation under anesthesia.

Download Additional Research Papers

Many research papers have been published on Sedative Stretching (as known as Manipulation Under Anesthesia).  Please find links to some of these research papers below for your review below.

  Fibrosis release procedures including MUA

  Manipulation for the treatment low back pain

  Manipulation of low back under anesthesia

  Manipulation of the spine and appendages under anesthesia

  Manipulation of the spine under anesthesia

  Medication assisted manipulation verses manipulation alone

  Medication assisted manipulation

  MUA- a report of four cases

  MUA- credibility

  MUA- pathomechanics

  Patients evaluated for MUA

  Preventive manipulation for chronic low back pain

  Results following rotatary manipulation lumbar

  The mechanism and treatment of migraine

  The patient under anesthesia

  Treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc protrusions