The accuracy of osteopathic manipulations of the lumbar spine: A pilot study
International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine
The results of this sectional investigation suggest that osteopathic manipulative therapy* may be no different in terms of accurately targeting a specified spinal segment than are chiropractic techniques. Conducted by researchers at the Canadian College of Osteopathy in Toronto, the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto, and the University of Waterloo (Canada), this study used 14 male and six female subjects, each of whom received two to three manipulations performed by an experienced osteopath. Cavitations were recorded with accelerometers to quantify the time to target and reveal source locations. In addition, the treating osteopath and the subjects were asked to report their perception regarding any «clicking» during manipulations, which would signify cavitations. A total of 16 cavitations were recorded for 12 of the subjects. Only eight of these were accurate to the intended targets. The mean error, which was the mean distance between the site of cavitation and the intended targets, was 5.31 centimeters, similar to what had been previously observed with chiropractic techniques. In addition, regression analysis revealed no statistically significant relationship between the site of cavitation and the intended targets. (This is an abstract. To view the full article, you will need to log in.)
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