Osteopathic Family Physician, 2016/05, 8(3):28-40, type of study: ,rev,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Free full text   (https://ofpjournal.com/index.php/ofp/article/view/449)

Keywords:

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [31]
COPD [40]
osteopathic manipulative treatment [3946]
OMT [3925]
review [753]

Abstract:

Background: Since Dr. Still developed osteopathic philosophy many physicians have utilized osteopathic manual medicine (OMM) to treat respiratory disorders and have reported their results in case studies and research projects. With the increasing emphasis on utilizing medical interventions supported by patient-oriented outcomes, it is imperative to evaluate the current evidence regarding the use of OMM in the treatment of respiratory illnesses. The aim of this study is to review the existing evidence regarding the utilization of OMM, specifically in the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Method: In order to perform a review of the existing evidence, comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify investigative studies which enrolled subjects having a diagnosis of COPD and incorporated OMM as an intervention. Articles were chosen based on those containing relevant content and were evaluated for risk of bias using a standardized tool. Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed for this paper. Overall, incorporating OMM into the treatment of COPD demonstrated inconsistent impact on objective pulmonary measures but when patient assessment of symptoms was included, improvement was noted. Conclusion: Current evidence demonstrates inconsistent findings regarding the efficacy of OMM in patients with COPD. Considering that clinical case studies and practice experience suggest this modality provides symptomatic improvement, we encourage researchers to conduct larger studies that minimize bias, incorporate patient-oriented measures, and evaluate the effect on acute exacerbations as the next steps to build the body of evidence regarding the utilization of OMM in COPD. © 2016 ACOFP. All rights reserved.