ABSTRACT
Surgery is a common and often necessary treatment option for a wide range of medical conditions, with an estimated 40 to 50 million surgeries performed in the US alone each year. While the various types of surgeries performed may be effective in treating or managing different conditions, the post-operative period can be challenging for patients. Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is a hands-on approach to medical care that seeks to restore balance and harmony to the body from the lens of an interconnected mind, body, and spirit. Given the potential for adverse events in patients following surgical treatments, OMT may be a viable adjunct post-operatively to enhance patient care and recovery. The purpose of this scoping review is to evaluate the state of current research examining the effectiveness of OMT in improving outcomes in post-operative patients. Three hundred articles were collected; 53 duplicates were removed. Eleven independent reviewers evaluated all 247 articles. Thirty articles were identified, including nine in general surgery, six in cardiothoracic surgery, five in orthopedic surgery, four in spinal surgery, three in neurosurgery, and three others (otolaryngology, oral/maxillofacial, and gynecologic surgery). Post-operative patients were treated with various OMT techniques with myofascial release and muscle energy being some of the most common treatments utilized in all surgical fields. Many studies demonstrated the benefits of OMT usage including significant pain relief, improved and earlier bowel function, and decreased lengths of hospital stay. This study demonstrates how OMT can be effective in reducing post-operative pain, reducing the incidence of post-operative ileus, and shortening the length of stay. Further research into the utilization of OMT in post-operative patients should be considered a potential adjunct to surgical intervention, especially in vulnerable patient populations.
ABSTRACT
The majority of women experience dysmenorrhea during their lifetime. The current standard-of-care treatment consists of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, oral contraceptive pills, or intrauterine devices. Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is a beneficial tool for improving non-musculoskeletal (non-MSK) conditions such as migraines, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and anxiety. OMT should be utilized to improve other non-MSK conditions, such as dysmenorrhea. The current review aims to evaluate the effects of OMT in women with dysmenorrhea. An extensive search was conducted in Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), MEDLINE, Biomedical Reference Collection: Comprehensive, and Nursing & Allied Health Collection: Comprehensive from inception to June 2022. Studies evaluating the use of OMT in patients with dysmenorrhea were included, while editorial/opinion articles were excluded. Three independent reviewers evaluated the studies. Ten studies evaluating the use of OMT in patients with dysmenorrhea were included. Overall, OMT was shown to provide relief of symptoms, including back and menstrual pain; however, there was no guideline on which OMT techniques are the most successful. Numerous positive effects were found, including a reduction in the duration of pain, reduction of pain intensity, and reduction of analgesic use. However, the low number of studies supports the need for further investigations. Dysmenorrhea patients could benefit from a prospective randomized controlled trial targeting spinal facilitation and viscerosomatic reflexes to decrease pain duration, pain intensity, and analgesic use. Non-MSK-focused OMT has a large body of mostly anecdotal evidence for relief of conditions such as migraine, GERD, and anxiety. It has helped when traditional standards of care have failed. Non-MSK-focused OMT research represents a relatively untouched field of research that can have a profound and positive global impact, particularly in areas with poor income/healthcare access.
ABSTRACT
The pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA) involves the destruction of articular cartilage and the overgrowth of bone with lipping and spur formation. Nerve endings in the joint capsule and adjacent tissues play a major role in the pain mechanisms of osteoarthritis. This often requires patients to seek pain control measures beyond over-the-counter drugs, such as local anesthetics. Osteopathic manipulation treatment (OMT) is a conservative, non-pharmacological treatment that can be used to help treat chronic pain associated with OA. Other non-pharmacologic therapies include weight loss, exercise, physical therapy (PT), and assistive devices. However, pharmacologic management may be added synergistically to control flares and maintain baseline activities of daily living. While oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been the mainstay of treatment for pain and inflammation associated with OA, they have a non-selective inhibitory action that often results in negative side effects when used chronically. The possibility of minimizing these complications through alternate treatments such as topical NSAIDs provides an opportunity for patients to receive adequate pain relief from OA without suffering unnecessary consequences. This literature review seeks to assess the state of research regarding topical NSAIDs and OMT as alternatives to the current gold-standard treatment of OA. The significant inclusion criteria consisted of articles that described the effects of OMT on OA or the use of topical NSAIDs such as Voltaren on OA. Due to the limited articles found, a qualitative analysis was performed, and the salient conclusions are outlined. Alternative pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments, such as topical diclofenac gel and OMT, have shown promising results in the treatment of pain in OA. It is seen that a majority of patients achieve pain management using NSAIDs, acetaminophen, or topical analgesics. Both diclofenac sodium and OMT have individually been shown to be effective treatments of OA when compared to the use of oral NSAIDs. A holistic treatment approach that utilizes both topical diclofenac sodium and OMT may provide OA patients with an effective option to reduce their moderate to severe chronic pain with limited side effects. Further, high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to identify whether synergistic effects occur when combining diclofenac sodium gel and OMT for pain relief in patients with OA.
