This quasi-experimental pilot study compared differences in brainwave activity in subjects with chronic spinal pain following PA spinal oscillations and after viewing a 5-minute pain neuroscience educational video.

In this within subject's design all subjects were given the two interventions on two different days. To prevent the order of the intervention to influence the study results the subjects were randomized into two different groups, A and B. Group A received PA spinal oscillations on their first visit and. Group B's underwent the opposite and watched a pain neuroscience education video on their first visit and received PA spinal oscillations on their first visit. Both sessions and interventions were lead and performed by the Doctor of Physical Therapy student under the direct supervision of the lead physical therapist, who is manually trained and holds a Cranio-Facial Certification. In order to standardize the location of the PA spinal oscillation intervention so brain activity and response can be properly compared, C7, T4 and L4 were identified and marked with a pen prior to any measures. Identification of L4 was achieved by placing hands on the subject's iliac crests with thumbs pointing toward one another. Keeping hands straight and parallel to the floor, thumbs will move medially, landing on L4.25 To identify C7, the subject was taken through cervical extension, where C6 will disappear and C7 remains in place.26 Once C7 was located, the spinous processes were palpated and counted until the level of T4, which was marked. Various factors can affect the reliability of this process, such as subject obesity, therapist experience, and anatomical differences.25 Studies show reliability for this method to be low.25,26 However, these studies, as with most, use a small sample size and only using one palpatory landmark for each level examined.25,26 To standardize variables, the methods above were used in conjunction with palpation of surrounding vertebrae. To measure brain wave activity during this study the 14-lead Emotiv EPOC portable EEG headset was used. Each participant wore the headset throughout the measurement and was in a seated position. After the EEG headset was placed properly and connection with the system had been appropriately established the subjects remained seated in a quiet room for three minutes to accommodate to the room environment before the first EEG measurement. After this, a 1-minute EEG recording was taken. This measurement served as the participant's baseline measurement. Group A subjects then received a grade I \& II spinal oscillations of three identified segments (C7, T4, and L4), 1 minute per segment for a total of 3 minutes. Directly following this a second 1-minute EEG recording was taken. On the subsequent visit, group A again underwent the three-minute seated accommodation period with the EEG headset on, followed by a 1 minute baseline EEG measurement prior to watching a 5 minute pain neuroscience educational video Understanding Pain in less than 5 minutes, and what to do about it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_3phB93rvI. A 1-minute EEG recording was taken during the first minute of the video and again during the last minute of the video. Immediately after watching the pain neuroscience educational video a 1-minute EEG recording was taken. The measurement protocol for group B was the same, but in reversed order. They watched the pain neuroscience educational video at their first visit and the PA spinal oscillations on their next visit.