The effect of muscle energy techniques on disability and pain scores in individuals with low back pain.

CLINICAL SCENARIO Low back pain is the most common type of pain reported by adults in the United States. A variety of manual therapy techniques are used in the management of low back pain to reduce pain, improve function, and reduce disability. In recent years, muscle energy techniques have been increasingly used in clinics to treat low back pain. By definition, a muscle energy technique involves the patient performing a voluntary muscle contraction "in a precisely controlled direction, against a distinctly executed counter force applied by the operator." Muscle energy techniques provide a conservative alternative for clinicians treating patients with precautions or contraindications to joint manipulation.