Osteopathic rehabilitation of patients after community-acquired pneumonia

Abstract

Introduction. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the effective medical rehabilitation of patients who have suffered community-acquired pneumonia is crucial, and the osteopathic correction can take its rightful place along with other rehabilitation methods. The studies of osteopathic approaches in the treatment of pneumonia are described in available sources for the inpatient stay of patients. The issues of the effectiveness of osteopathic correction in more distant periods of rehabilitation after community-acquired pneumonia are poorly covered and therefore became the basis for the presented work.The aim of the study is to research the effectiveness of the osteopathic correction inclusion in the outpatient rehabilitation program for patients after community-acquired pneumonia.Materials and methods. A prospective, controlled, randomized study was conducted at the Clinic of the Eurasian Institute of Osteopathic Medicine (Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic) from January to June 2021. 30 patients who have suffered community-acquired pneumonia of mild and moderate severity were examined, including 15 people of the main group who received osteopathic correction every 7 days for 3–4 weeks and simultaneously performed the recommended set of exercises of physical therapy (exercise therapy); 15 people of the control group, without osteopathic correction, only a set of exercise therapy exercises was recommended for these patients. The evaluation of the effectiveness of osteopathic correction was carried out on the basis of the analysis of spirometry, pulse oximetry, functional tests of the Stange and Genchi, and the life quality by the MOS SF-36 questionnaire.Results. The study showed that the inclusion of osteopathic correction in the rehabilitation of patients who have suffered community-acquired pneumonia significantly (p<0,05) improves the indicators of the external respiration function, namely, the vital capacity of the lungs, increases the body′s resistance to hypoxia and hypercapnia, and improves the life quality.Conclusion. The obtained results allow us to reasonably recommend the inclusion of osteopathic correction in outpatient rehabilitation programs for patients who have suffered community-acquired pneumonia.