The biology of manual therapies.

J Am Osteopath Assoc

Ohio University, OMNI and Department of Biomedical Sciences, 236 Irvine Hall, Athens, OH 45701, USA.

Published: September 2012

AI Article Synopsis

  • Over 18 million adults in the U.S. use manual therapies annually, spending around $3.9 billion out of pocket.
  • While there is increasing evidence that these therapies are effective, understanding their biological mechanisms is still limited.
  • The authors explore the hypothesis that manual therapies break the pain-spasm-pain cycle, but find that experimental support for this idea is lacking.

Article Abstract

Each year, more than 18 million adults in the United States receive manual therapies, at a total annual out-of-pocket cost of $3.9 billion. Although there is growing evidence supporting the efficacy of manual therapies, little is known about the mechanisms underlying these treatments. This lack of basic knowledge significantly limits the development of rational strategies for the use of these treatments and potentially hinders their acceptance by the wider scientific and health care communities. Many authors have hypothesized that manual therapies act by disrupting the pain-spasm-pain cycle, but relatively little experimental evidence has supported this hypothesis. The authors have tested this hypothesis and summarize their work on the biology of manual therapies.

Download full-text PDF

Source

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

manual therapies
20
biology manual
8
therapies
5
therapies year
4
year adults
4
adults united
4
united states
4
states receive
4
manual
4
receive manual
4

Similar Publications

Introduction: Health education, weight control and exercise therapy are recognised treatment options for the non-surgical management of knee osteoarthritis (KOA); however, the pain and muscle fatigue associated with exercise make it difficult for patients to initially adhere. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) massage is an important complementary and alternative therapy that can effectively address these deficiencies. According to TCM theory and preliminary clinical practice, loosening of the muscles while pointing to acupoints can promote the recovery of KOA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Forecasting the use of chiropractic services within the Veterans Health Administration.

PLoS One

January 2025

Biomedical Informatics and Data Science, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America.

Objective: To model future use of chiropractic services and predict clinical resource needs within the Veterans Health Administration (VA) over the next 5 years.

Methods: A serial cross-sectional analysis of chiropractic use data from VA's Corporate Data Warehouse for fiscal years (FY) 2017 through 2022 (10/1/2016-9/30/2022). We calculated the proportion of VA chiropractic users-via care provided on-station and/or purchased from Community Care Network (CCN) providers-compared to overall VA healthcare users for each FY.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bruxism is a significant phenomenon that should not be underestimated, given its prevalence and consequences. The major symptoms associated with bruxism include myalgia, decreased quality of life, and limited mandibular movements. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of four treatment methods for managing bruxism-related symptoms: botulinum toxin (BoNT-A), dry needling (DN), pharmacological therapy (PT), and manual therapy (MT).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study evaluated the efficacy of an eye massage device that uses acupressure points combined with natural sounds to reduce anxiety and pain in children receiving dental anesthesia for the first time. A total of 105 children aged between 8 and 10 years whose dental treatment required inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) injection participated in this randomized controlled clinical trial. The participants were randomly divided into three groups: Group A: eye massage with natural sounds; Group B: eye massage only; and Group C (control group): traditional behavior management techniques.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Aim: Removing the chest tube in cardiac patients after surgery is one of the worst experiences of hospitalization in the intensive care units. Various pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods are available to control pain in these patients. This study aimed to investigate the combined effect of reflexology massage and respiratory relaxation on pain following chest tube removal in cardiac surgery patients of Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Shiraz, Iran, in 2023.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!