Article

This study was designed as an experimental study (trial).
OBJECTIVES: To verify the effects of the association between conventional
pharmacological treatment and osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) for
chronic pain management in spinal cord injury (SCI). SETTING: This study was
carried out at Spinal Unit, Ospedale Niguarda Ca' Granda, Milan, Italy. Istituto
Superiore di Osteopatia, Milan, Italy. METHODS: We enrolled 47 patients with SCI,
26 with pain of both nociceptive and neuropathic origin, and 21 with pure
neuropathic pain. In all, 33 patients had a complete spinal cord lesion (ASIA
level A) and 14 had incomplete lesion (ASIA level B, C and D). The patients were
subdivided in a pharmacological group (Ph), a pharmacological osteopathic (PhO)
group and a osteopathic (Os) group. The verbal numeric scale (VNS) was used at
various time intervals to evaluate treatment outcomes. RESULTS: Ph patients
reached a 24% improvement in their pain perception, assessed by the VNS scale
after 3 weeks of treatment, whereas Os patients reached a 16% improvement in
their pain perception for the same weeks. Both treatments per se failed to induce
further improvements at later time points. In contrast, the combination of the
two approaches yielded a significantly better pain relief both in patients with
nociceptive or pure neuropathic pain in the PhO group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results
suggest the OMT is a feasible approach in patients in whom available drugs cannot
be used. Moreover, a benefit can be expected by the association of OMT in
patients treated according to existing pharmacological protocols.

Langue : ANGLAIS