“A pilot study of six infants”.
“At the time of first measurement, the difference between pre- and post fed fat estimations of breast milk was small in infants with a dysfunctional suck. Following osteopathic treatment, the difference between pre- and post fed fat estimations were comparable with the fat estimations from the breast milk of infants who were feeding normally.”
“Compared with children in the control group, carers of children receiving cranial osteopathy were nearly twice as likely to report that their child’s global health had ‘improved’ at 6 months rather than ‘decreased’ or ‘remained the same’ (38% vs 18%; odds ratio 2.8, 95% CI 1.1 to 6.9)”
“This trial found no statistically significant evidence that cranial osteopathy leads to sustained improvement in motor function, pain, sleep or quality of life in children aged 5-12 years with cerebral palsy”
“The term osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) currently encompasses more than twenty types of osteopath-performed manual treatments. The OMT techniques of choice in treating preterm infants are myofascial release, balanced ligamentous/membranous tension, indirect fluidic and v-spread.”
“In the present study, 8 osteopathic practitioners were involved and randomly divided in two groups: 4 osteopaths performing the evaluation (group A), and 4 osteopaths performing the evaluation and the treatment (group B). Osteopaths from group A and B entered to the NICU in different hours of the schedule days, to provide blinding and to avoid possible confounding. None of the osteopathic practitioners were involved in the study design, data entry or statistical analysis. In addition all practitioners, except for the treating osteopath, were unaware of patients allocation.”
“Results showed a significant association between OMT [osteopathic manipulative therapy] and LOS [length of stay] reduction (mean difference between treated and control group: -5.906; 95% C.I. -7.944, -3.869; p<0.001). OMT was not associated to any change in daily weight gain.”
“The present study suggests that OMT may have an important role in the management of preterm infants hospitalization.”
“Osteopaths performing OMT [osteopathic manipulative treatment] were trained to use only indirect and fluidic techniques which included: indirect myofascial, sutural spread, balanced membranous tension and balanced ligamentous tension (according to teachings of William Garner Sutherland, DO, and others).”
“The study suggests that osteopathic treatment may reduce a high occurrence of gastrointestinal symptoms and the rates of long-term stays.”
“Fifty-five patients were included in the study. Individual analyses of the 11 outcome variables revealed statistically significant improvement in two mobility measures for patients who received OMT–the total score of Gross Motor Function Measurement and the mobility domain of Functional Independence Measure for Children (P<.05). No statistically significant improvements were seen among patients in the acupuncture treatment arm.”
“These clinical findings support the hypothesis that osteopathic treatments contribute to the improvement of cranial asymmetries in infants younger than 6.5 months old presenting with NSOP [nonsynostotic occipital plagiocephaly] characteristics.”
“The aim of this study was to assess the therapeutic efficacy of osteopathic treatment in infants with postural asymmetry. A randomized clinical trial of efficacy with blinded videoscoring was performed. Sixty-one infants with postural asymmetry aged 6 to 12 weeks (mean 9wks) were recruited. Thirty-two infants (18 males, 14 females) with a gestational age of at least 36 weeks were found to be eligible and randomly assigned to the intervention groups, 16 receiving osteopathic treatment and 16 sham therapy. After a treatment period of 4 weeks the outcome was measured using a standardized scale (4-24 points). With sham therapy, five infants improved (at least 3 points), eight infants were unchanged (within 3 points), and three infants deteriorated (not more than -3 points); the mean improvement was 1.2 points (SD 3.5). In the osteopathic group, 13 infants improved and three remained unchanged; the mean improvement was 5.9 points (SD 3.8). The difference was significant (p=0.001). We conclude that osteopathic treatment in the first months of life improves the degree of asymmetry in infants with postural asymmetry.”
“At each visit the osteopathic technique, and the area it was applied to, was adapted depending on the diagnostic palpation of the osteo- path who assessed and treated position, tissue quality, mobility, and relation to the environment of the skull, sacrum, iliac and coccygeal bones, thorax, sternum, diaphragm, and abdomen. The specific procedures were recorded by the osteopath. For instance, so-called primary respiration and the cranial rhyth- mic impulse, thought to be very fine autonomous rhythmic changes of tissue quality, were used to disengage fixations of adjoining structures”
“Outcome by diagnostic groups suggested that UCST [Upledger craniosacral therapy] is particularly effective for patients with headaches and migraine, neck and back pain, anxiety and depression, and unsettled babies. Seventy percent (70%) of patients on medication decreased or discontinued it, and patients’ average general practitioner consultation rate fell by 60% in the 6 months following treatment.”
“Patients’ ages ranged from neonates to 68 years. Seventy-four percent (74%) of patients reported a valuable improvement in their presenting problem. Sixty-seven percent (67%) also reported a valuable improvement in their general well-being and/or a second health problem. Outcome by diagnostic groups suggested that UCST is particularly effective for patients with headaches and migraine, neck and back pain, anxiety and depression, and unsettled babies.”
“The predominant complain was inability to suck either at breast or bottle.”
“The baby was being fed with a nasogastric tube.”
“Osteopathic treatment addressing the cranial and extracranial structures, with particular emphasis on the condylar and sacroiliac compressions, was carried out.”
“Immediately following second treatment, he sucked 60ml of formula on his own. The amounts sucked progressed erratically after that next week.”
“By that time, Baby X was almost 8 weeks old. He presented on this occasion without the nasogastric tube,”
“At five months of age… he is continuing to thrive. Developmental milestones were age appropriate. Solids were gradually introduced at approximately four months of age.”
“The results of this study suggest a potential benefit of osteopathic manipulative treatment as adjuvant therapy in children with recurrent AOM [acute otitis media]; it may prevent or decrease surgical intervention or antibiotic overuse.”
“Treatments were gentle techniques on areas of restriction consisting of articulation, myofascial release, balanced membranous tension (according to teachings of William Garner Sutherland, DO, and others25), balanced ligamentous tension, facilitated positional release, and/or counterstrain treatments. “
