Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment and Autonomic Nervous System Activity
Author Information
Author(s): Charles E. Henley, Douglas Ivins, Miriam Mills, Frances K. Wen, Bruce A. Benjamin
Primary Institution: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Hypothesis
Cervical myofascial release increases vagal tone.
Conclusion
Cervical myofascial release shifts sympathovagal balance from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic nervous system.
Supporting Evidence
- The study demonstrated a significant difference in heart rate variability between OMT and control conditions.
- OMT produced a vagal response strong enough to overcome sympathetic tone.
- Heart rate variability may be a useful method for developing sham controls in future studies.
Takeaway
This study shows that a specific type of osteopathic treatment can help calm the body's stress response.
Methodology
Seventeen healthy subjects received cervical myofascial OMT, touch-only sham OMT, and no-touch control in a repeated measures design.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from self-selection of participants and the lack of blinding regarding treatment conditions.
Limitations
The study only included healthy adults aged 19-50 and did not assess the effects of OMT in patients with health conditions.
Participant Demographics
17 healthy adults, 9 males and 8 females, aged 19-50 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI provided for various measures.
Statistical Significance
p < 0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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