Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, 2016/10, 13(4):eA14. doi: 10.1515/jcim-2016-0102, type of study: ,cr,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Free full text   (https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/jcim-2016-0102/html)

Keywords:

case report [736]
cranio-sacral osteopathy [231]
cranium [85]
dysosmia [1]
female [655]
smell [4]
trauma [125]
women [608]

Abstract:

Background: The incidence of dysosmia after a head trauma is frequent and rarely treated. The loss of smell may have a major psychological impact. Objectives: This study aims to gather information about the effects of osteopathic treatments for an individual with dysosmia following a head injury. Methods: A 43-year-old woman seeks medical attention for dysosmia after a fall. The medical history reveals a diminished sense of smell without changes in taste. During the osteopathic exam, several craniosacral dysfunctions are found: membranous compression, dysfunction of the cranial base and facial bones, restriction of the ethmoid bone and a laterally inflected sacrum. Four osteopathic treatments over a three-month period were performed in order to normalize cranial dysfunctions and inflected sacrum. Results: Normalization of the osteopathic craniosacral dysfunctions induces notable increase in the variety of perceived smells. Several hypotheses have been reported with regard to the origins of cranial post-traumatic dysosmia. Dysosmia in our subject is possibly attributed to the inflammation or mechanical obstruction of the olfactory clefts. The corrections of the dysfunctions would improve the flow of odorous molecules to the sensorial epithelium. Conclusion: Cranial osteopathic treatments seem to have had a positive effect on the recovery of the sense of smell after a traumatic incident, while there are currently few medical solutions. Further research is required to determine the dysfunction’s exact mechanism: inflammatory or obstructive.