Effects of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

The study was carried out to assess the effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

30 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were selected for the study.

Patients were selected from the respiratory OPD at a tertiary care centre using convenience sampling technique. The patients were recruited after signing the ethics approved consent forms. Outcome measures: chest expansion, peak expiratory flow rate and respiratory rate were assessed and documented prior to and following the intervention. The subjects were given seven osteopathic manipulative techniques. The entire duration for osteopathic manipulative treatment session was approximately 20 minutes for each subject.

Significant improvements were found in chest expansion at axillary and xiphisternal level, peak expiratory flow rate and significant decrease in respiratory rate after single session of osteopathic manipulative treatment.

Osteopathic manipulative treatment increases chest expansion at both axillary and xiphisternal level and peak expiratory flow rate and leads to reduction in respiratory rate in patients with COPD.