Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Regulates Autonomic Markers in Preterm Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Autonomic correlates of osteopathic manipulative treatment on facial functional mapping: an innovative approach based on thermal imaging

Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) has shown efficacy in various clinical conditions and age groups. Understanding its neurobiological, particularly autonomic, mechanisms of action remain limited. Preliminary studies suggested a parasympathetic effect of OMT, evidenced by heart-rate-variability analysis. A cross-over RCT on healthy adults was conducted to compare OMT with sham therapy. Thirty-seven participants underwent two sessions (OMT and sham), comprising baseline, tactile treatment, and post-touch. Novel thermal imaging data analyses in combination with seed correlation analyses (SCA) were employed to explore the OMT effects on autonomic parameters. Particularly, the sham group exhibited an elevated warming effect on the cheeks, nose, and chin. Inversely, for the OMT group a conspicuous cooling trend in the nose, but not in the cheeks and chin was observed. Considering SCA maps, the intensity of the correlation for nose tip, glabella and GSR seeds showed higher values in the OMT compared to the sham group. The comparative analysis of thermal maps and SCA results represents a significant advancement in our understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying OMT's effects on autonomic functions. By elucidating specific patterns of temperature change, correlation intensity and specific clusters, this research provides valuable insights for optimizing clinical practice and refining theoretical models of manual therapy.

Reported biological effects following Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: A comprehensive mapping review

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) is a therapeutic whole-body approach mainly focused on correcting somatic dysfunctions. The aim of this scoping review is to systematically map the literature regarding the documented biological effects observed following OMT.

METHODS

The 2020 JBIRM version and the PRISMA-ScR were followed for the conceptualization and reporting of this review. The protocol was registered on the "Open Science Framework Registry" (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/MFAUP). We searched for original articles published on Medline, Embase, and Scopus, from inception to the present.

RESULTS

Overall, 10,419 records were identified. After duplicate removal, screening for title and abstract, and specific exclusions with reasons, a total of 146 studies were included. Wide differences were detected among studies in their geographical localization, study design, temporal distribution, participants' condition, OMT protocols, and documented biological effects. Such variety in frequency distribution was properly described through descriptive statistics.

CONCLUSIONS

Biological modifications that appear to be induced by OMT have been detected in several body systems, but mostly in neurophysiological correlates and musculoskeletal changes. Results suggest a growing interest over the years on this topic, especially in the last two decades. More efforts in research are recommended to highlight whether such changes specifically depend on OMT, and to demonstrate its specific contribution to clinical practice.

Does Osteopathic Heart-Focused Palpation Modify Heart Rate Variability in Stressed Participants with Musculoskeletal Pain? A Randomised Controlled Pilot Study

Heart rate variability (HRV) describes fluctuations in time intervals between heartbeats and reflects autonomic activity. HRV is reduced in stressed patients with musculoskeletal pain and improved after osteopathic manipulative treatment and mind-body interventions. Heart-focused palpation (HFP) combines manual and mind-body approaches to facilitate relaxation. This randomised controlled pilot study investigated the feasibility and sample size for a future randomised controlled trial and the effect of a single treatment with HFP or sham HFP (SHAM) on short-term HRV. A total of Thirty-three adults (47.7 ± 13.5 years old) with stress and musculoskeletal pain completed the trial with acceptable rates of recruitment (8.25 subjects per site/month), retention (100%), adherence (100%), and adverse events (0%). HFP (n = 18), but not SHAM (n = 15), significantly increased the root mean square of successive RR interval differences (p = 0.036), standard deviation of the NN intervals (p = 0.009), and ratio of the low-frequency to high-frequency power band (p = 0.026). HFP and SHAM significantly decreased the heart rate (p < 0.001, p = 0.009) but not the stress index and ratio of the Poincaré plot standard deviation along and perpendicular to the line of identity (p > 0.05). A power analysis calculated 72 participants. Taken together, the study was feasible and HFP improved HRV in stressed subjects with musculoskeletal pain, suggesting a parasympathetic effect.