Single Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy Session Dampens Acute Autonomic and Neuroendocrine Responses to Mental Stress in Healthy Male Participants

Abstract

The application of a single OMTh session to healthy participants induced a faster recovery of heart rate and sympathovagal balance after an acute mental stressor by substantially dampening parasympathetic withdrawal and sympathetic prevalence. The OMTh session also prevented the typical increase in cortisol levels observed immediately after a brief mental challenge.

The Immediate Effect of Therapeutic Touch and Deep Touch Pressure on Range of Motion, Interoceptive Accuracy and Heart Rate Variability: A Randomized Controlled Trial With Moderation Analysis

“…The impact of OMT on HRV has previously been investigated and has shown that OMT and other manual therapies typically lead to an increase in parasympathetic dominance ( Delaney et al, 2002 ; Henley et al, 2008 ; Toro-Velasco et al, 2009 ; Buttagat et al, 2011 ; Giles et al, 2013 ). OMT has also been found to effectively counteract the shift of autonomic balance toward a sympathetic prevalence in healthy participants under stressful conditions during a mental challenge task ( Fornari et al, 2017 ), so may have implications for stress reduction and mental health.…”

Exploring the Effects of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment on Autonomic Function Through the Lens of Heart Rate Variability

“…It is widely known that stressors tip the ANS balance toward a larger sympathetic prevalence and activate the hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal axis (i.e., increase cortisol levels). In a betweensubject study conducted by our group, a single-session of OMT using craniosacral techniques was performed immediately after an acute mental stressor on a small sample of healthy young men (20-30 years old) (Fornari et al, 2017). We found a smaller reduction in HF-HRV values (obtained from ECG analysis) and a much lower cortisol increment in response to the mental stressor in the OMT group compared with sham treatment (Fornari et al, 2017).…”

“…In a betweensubject study conducted by our group, a single-session of OMT using craniosacral techniques was performed immediately after an acute mental stressor on a small sample of healthy young men (20-30 years old) (Fornari et al, 2017). We found a smaller reduction in HF-HRV values (obtained from ECG analysis) and a much lower cortisol increment in response to the mental stressor in the OMT group compared with sham treatment (Fornari et al, 2017). While these results must be interpreted with caution given the exploratory nature of this study, in our view the association between OMT and reduced cardiac vagal withdrawal and cortisol rise in response to an acute stress represents an intriguing health-related outcome.…”

The evolution of manual therapy education: what are we waiting for?

“…McKenzie reinforced the foundational skill of interviewing to determine a patient's symptomatic response to movements and positions [12]. Additional examples of this foundational patient-centric skillset exist within the osteopathic model's method of modulating sympathetic and parasympathetic activity based upon assessment of tone and life stressors [13][14][15]. These essential skills encompass the understanding of the patient's values and beliefs, allow for a shared therapeutic alliance through motivational interviewing, and help to understand one's own implicit bias including when NOT to use hands-on techniques in the patient's plan of care.…”