Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment of Back Pain and Related Symptoms during Pregnancy: A Randomized Controlled Trial Licciardone 2011

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) for back pain and related symptoms in the third trimester of pregnancy. The study was designed as a randomized, placebo-controlled trial that compared usual obstetrical care (UOBC) alone to UOBC+OMT, UOBC+SUT (sham ultrasound treatment), and UOBC alone. The primary outcomes measured were average pain levels and back-specific functioning, assessed using the Roland Morris-Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ). The study included 144 subjects who were analyzed using intention-to-treat analyses. The results showed that back-specific functioning worsened during pregnancy, but the UOBC+OMT group demonstrated significantly less deterioration (effect size, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.31-1.14; P=.001 vs. UOBC alone; and effect size, 0.35; 95% CI, −0.06-0.76; P=.09 vs. UOBC+SUT). Back pain decreased in the UOBC+OMT group, remained unchanged in the UOBC+SUT group, and increased in the UOBC only group, although there was no statistically significant difference between the groups. In conclusion, osteopathic manipulative treatment can slow or halt the deterioration of back-specific functioning during the third trimester of pregnancy.

Licciardone JC, Buchanan S, Hensel KL, King HH, Fulda KG, Stoll ST. Osteopathic manipulative treatment of back pain and related symptoms during pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Jan;202(1):43.e1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2009.07.057. Epub 2009 Sep 20. PMID: 19766977; PMCID: PMC2811218.