title: Effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment on pediatric patients with asthma: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Asthma is a common chronic condition that has long plagued the pediatric patient population. Asthma in children can cause excessive school absenteeism, hospitalizations, and even death. Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is an underutilized noninvasive treatment method for patients with asthma. The use of OMT may help decrease mortality and morbidity rates among this patient group. The authors conducted a randomized controlled trial attempting to demonstrate the therapeutic relevance of OMT in the pediatric asthma population. With a confidence level of 95%, results for the OMT group showed a statistically significant improvement of 7 L per minute to 9 L per minute for peak expiratory flow rates. These results suggest that OMT has a therapeutic effect among this patient population. The authors suggest that more clinical trials are required to better demonstrate the effectiveness of OMT in patients with asthma.
authors.affiliation: Family Practice Residency Program, Department of Family Practice, Peninsula Hospital Center, 51-15 Beach Channel Dr, Far Rockaway, NY 11691-1042, USA. pagdophc@netscape.net
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Guiney
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vianna
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lovenheim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D026301:Manipulation, Osteopathic; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate