Abstract
BackgroundChronic inflammatory diseases (CID) are globally highly prevalent and characterized by severe pathological medical conditions. Several trials were conducted aiming at measuring the effects of manipulative therapies on patients affected by CID. The purpose of this review was to explore the extent to which osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) can be benefi-cial in medical conditions also classified as CID.MethodsThis review included any type of experimental study which enrolled sub-jects with CID comparing OMT with any type of control procedure. The search was conducted on eight databases in January 2014 using a pragmatic literature search approach. Two independent re-viewers conducted study selection and data extraction for each study. The risk of bias was evaluated according to the Cochrane methods. Heterogeneity was assessed and meta-analysis performed where possible.Results10 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review enrolling 386 subjects. The search identified six RCTs, one laboratory study, one cross-over pilot studies, one observation-al study and one case control pilot study. Results suggest a potential effect of osteopathic medicine on patients with medical pathologies associated with CID (in particular Chronic Obstructive Pul-monary Disease (COPD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Asthma and Peripheral Arterial Disease) com-pared to no treatment or sham therapy although data remain elusive. Moreover one study showed possible effects on arthritis rat model. Meta-analysis was performed for COPD studies only show-ing no effect of any type of OMT applied versus control. No major side effects were reported by those receiving OMT.ConclusionThe present systematic review showed inconsistent data on the effect of OMT in the treatment of medical conditions potentially associated with CID, however the OMT appears to be a safe approach. Further more robust trials are needed to determine the direction and magnitude of the effect of OMT and to generalize favorable results.
Highlights
Chronic inflammatory disease (CID) is a medical condition characterized by chronic inflammation, defined as a prolonged and persistent pro-inflammatory state marked by new connective tissue formation [1]
Results suggest a potential effect of osteopathic medicine on patients with medical pathologies associated with CID (in particular Chronic Obstructive Pul-monary Disease (COPD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Asthma and Peripheral Arterial Disease) com-pared to no treatment or sham therapy data remain elusive
Meta-analysis was performed for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) studies only show-ing no effect of any type of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) applied versus control
Summary
Chronic inflammatory disease (CID) is a medical condition characterized by chronic inflammation, defined as a prolonged and persistent pro-inflammatory state marked by new connective tissue formation [1]. The number of people suffering from CIDs has been increasing over the last three decades. In 2002, the leading chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes) caused 29 million deaths [2]. By 2030, it has been estimated that 171 million people will be affected by CID in the United States [3]. Chronic inflammatory diseases (CID) are globally highly prevalent and characterized by severe pathological medical conditions. The purpose of this review was to explore the extent to which osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) can be beneficial in medical conditions classified as CID
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