The Immedicate Effect of OMT on a COPD Population: A Pilot Study

Som, Mousumi, M.S. The Immediate Effect of OMT on a COPD Population: A Pilot Study. Master of Science (Clinical Research and Education OMM), May 2006, 81 pages, 3 figures, references 45 titles. Objective: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States costing approximately 32 billion dollars yearly. COPD cannot be cured, and existing modalities are limited. This study explored the use of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) on pulmonary function and alveolar ventilation. Methods: this prospective, randomized single blinded pilot study included 21 subjects with two interventions: OMT and no intervention. Subjects were 40 to 80 years of age with a clinical diagnosis of COPD. Primary outcome measures included pulmonary function values: FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, RV, TLC. Secondary outcome measures included alveolar ventilation measured by pulse oximetry. Results: No statistically significant results were observed. Clinically relevant trends indicated a potential impact of OMT on COPD subjects. This study was funded by the Osteopathic Research Center (ORC) and approved by the UNTHSC Institutional Review Board. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the feasibility of conducting research on COPD subjects by the ORC. Because of the small sample size, no conclusive statements can be made determining the efficacy of OMT on pulmonary function and alveolar ventilation.