Evidence-based osteopathic manipulative treatment for common conditions

Abstract

Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is a unique aspect of osteopathic medicine that has served as a useful adjunct to traditional surgical and pharmacological treatment of medical conditions for more than 100 years. Using an approach based on five basic body functions, as well as traditional modern medical and surgical therapeutics, OMT enhances the body's innate ability to fight inflammation and other systemic results of disease states. OMT has been shown to be a safe and cost-effective treatment for back pain, in particular for patients who have continued pain despite standard treatments and for those who are unable or unwilling to take pain relievers. For patients with pneumonia, OMT can reduce the need for potentially dangerous antibiotics and reduce the length of a patient's hospital stay. In addition, in children with otitis media, OMT can be used as an adjunct to antibiotic and surgical treatment to decrease morbidity, reduce antibiotic usage, and decrease the discomfort associated with the symptoms of a middle ear infection.