title: A comparative study of cervical hysteresis characteristics after various osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) modalities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few objective measures have been used to document change in myofascial tissues after OMT.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Paraspinal tissues associated with cervical somatic dysfunction (SD) will demonstrate quantifiable change in myofascial hysteresis characteristics after a given OMT technique but not after a Sham intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  240 subjects were palpated for cervical articular SD. A randomly selected intervention (5 OMT techniques or a Sham) was applied to the cervical SD clinically considered to be most severe. A durometer (SA201(®); Sigma Instruments, Cranberry, PA, USA) objectively measured myofascial structures overlying each cervical spinal segment pre- and post- intervention. Using a single consistent piezoelectric impulse, this durometer quantified four hysteresis (tissue texture) characteristics--fixation, mobility, frequency, and motoricity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline changes in median hysteresis values were noted for each OMT technique but not for Sham interventions. Notably, segmental counterstrain OMT resulted in significant motoricity change compared to adjacent segmental myofascial measures (p-value 0.04) along with a suggestive trend in the mobility component (p-value 0.12).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When comparing treated to untreated cervical segments, the most significant change occurred post-counterstrain OMT with no overall change following Sham. Overall, quantifiable objective change occurs in myofascial tissues post-OMT, in addition to the noted clinical palpable change.
authors.affiliation: Human Performance & Biomechanics Laboratory, Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, 4170 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA.
authors.forename: Precious L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Laboy
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Noto-Bell
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ferencz
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kuchera
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D026301:Manipulation, Osteopathic / Q000379:methods*; D020393:Manipulation, Spinal / Q000379:methods; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010919:Placebos; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos