The effect of visceral osteopathic treatment on irritable bowel syndrome
Item
- Title
- The effect of visceral osteopathic treatment on irritable bowel syndrome
- Author(s)
- Steiner Dror
- Abstract
-
Objectives: This study aims are to: Investigate the effect of Visceral Manipulation (VM) techniques on the quality of life and the severity of symptoms of subjects suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
To give recommendations for future studies in the field of visceral osteopathy in regard to the study design, length of intervention, number of subjects and treatments and measurement of the treatments' outcome.
Background data: VM are techniques applying a direct manipulation to the visceral organs. Osteopaths use VM to improve symptoms arising from the digestive, reproductive, urinary, respiratory and cardiovascular systems pathologies. However, there are only limited numbers of clinical studies demonstrating that VM significantly improve the symptoms of IBS or any other pathology.
Design: A serial of intervention case studies, where subjects comprised an incidental sample of IBS sufferers.
Subjects: Eight subjects (5 females and 3 males; aged between 22-39 years old) diagnosed with IBS according to ROME II criteria, but otherwise healthy.
Method: Each subject received six VM treatments over six weeks. VM techniques were applied to the stomach, pyloric sphincter, duodenum, sphincter of Oddi, ileo-coecal junction, root of mesentery, liver, pelvic floor, thoracic diaphragm and the whole colon.
Each subject completed two sets of questionnaires. The IBS- Quality Of Life (IBS-QOL) questionnaire was completed before the first treatment and after the last treatment. It measures the subject's quality of life, which reflects the severity of IBS.
The IBS-Severity of Symptoms (IBS-SS) questionnaire was completed every day and scored the severity of all IBS symptoms that were presented at that day.
Results: Comparing the IBS-QOL questionnaires of before and after the treatment, seven out of eight subjects had their quality of life improved after the course of VM treatments. The range of improvement was between 10-31% (mean=14.75%). The improvement was found to be significant (P=0.0156).
Analyzing the IBS-SS questionnaires, most (but not all) severity of symptoms improved after the course of treatment. One subject presented a worsening severity while some symptoms of other subjects fail to show any improvement. Statistically, across all subjects, the total daily symptoms (P=0.02) and the individually most severe symptom (P=0.015) significantly improved after the treatment. The severity of pain, constipation and diarrhoea did not show significant improvement.
Conclusion: VM is effective in improving the quality of life and the general severity of symptoms presented in IBS sufferers. Future VM studies of IBS may use both IBS-QOL and IBS-SS questionnaires to measure treatments' outcome, should span over at least 8 weeks, and include placebo treatment and administration of a psychosocial questionnaire. - presented at
- British College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Date Accepted
- 0
- Date Submitted
- 1.1.1970 00:00:00
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 13654
- Inst-Identifier
- 1076
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Steiner Dror, “The effect of visceral osteopathic treatment on irritable bowel syndrome”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.osteopathicresearch.org/s/orw/item/1103