The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 2013/08, 113(8):e9. doi: 10.7556/jaoa.2013.026, type of study: ,ppt,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Full text    (https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.7556/jaoa.2013.026/html)

Keywords:

balanced ligamentous tension [9]
BLT [7]
cardiovascular system [15]
heart rate [102]
pretest posttest design [241]

Abstract:

Introduction: Vertebral somatic dysfunction is described by sympathetic hyperactivity, which affects related innervated visceral structures including blood vessels. This study investigates the influence of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) on upper extremity vascular characteristics at selected vertebral segments. Hypothesis: This study evaluates the hypothesis that OMT, using balanced ligamentous tension (BLT) at selected vertebral levels, affects upper extremity digital vascular flow, as well as electrocardiographic (ECG) characteristics. Methods: Cardiovascular parameters were recorded in a continuous, noninvasive manner from clinically asymptomatic individuals (13 women, 4 men; age, 19 to 58 years), who were recruited to participate in an institutional review board–approved study. Signals from both the right and left hands for 28 total sessions were acquired by attaching the Photo-pulse-Plethysmogram (PPG) and Laser Doppler Flow (LDF) sensors on the index and middle finger tips, respectively. A 3-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) signal was recorded simultaneously. For active sessions, participants lay supine and BLT was performed by the osteopathic physician at sequential vertebral levels, OA-C2, T1-T4, T8-L2, and L5-sacrum. A quiescent phase of approximately 8 to 12 minutes followed each region treated as the subject continued to lie passively. Data were acquired for these sessions lasting between 100 to 150 minutes. For baseline sessions, the subject was instructed to lie supine without disturbance for 45 to 75 minutes, and the same vascular parameters were acquired. Time domain analyses (peak-peak [PK-PK] and root-mean-square) and frequency domain power spectral density (PSD) post-analyses were performed. The ECG data were analyzed to asses heart rate variability. Results: A statistically significant difference in the root-mean-square values was noted for the LDF and PPG signals (.003