Osteopathic manual therapy in fibromyalgia: a pilot study.
5 affiliations
- 1Gaziantep Islam Science and Technology University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation - Gaziantep, Türkiye.
- 2Usak University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation - Uşak, Türkiye.
- 3Siirt University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation - Siirt, Türkiye.
- 4Pamukkale University, Faculty of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedic Rehabilitation - Denizli, Türkiye.
- 5Pamukkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine - Denizli, Türkiye.
Abstract
Objective
The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the preliminary efficacy and feasibility of integrating Osteopathic Manual Therapy Techniques combined with Clinical Pilates on pain, symptom severity, and sleep quality in patients with fibromyalgia.Methods
Twenty women with fibromyalgia were randomized into Osteopathic Manual Therapy Techniques+Clinical Pilates (n=11) and Clinical Pilates (n=9) groups. The protocol lasted 6 weeks (3 sessions/week). Osteopathic Manual Therapy Techniques included rib raising, suboccipital myofascial release, Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) mobilization, diaphragm/mediastinum techniques, and visceral mobilizations. Primary outcomes were the Widespread Pain Index, Symptom Severity Scale, and Pressure Pain Threshold. Sleep was assessed via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.Results
Both groups showed significant intra-group improvements (p<0.05). Within-group analyses revealed that the Osteopathic Manual Therapy Techniques+Clinical Pilates group achieved significant improvements in Widespread Pain Index (p=0.003), Symptom Severity Scale (p=0.005), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (p=0.007). However, in the between-group analysis of change scores, the Osteopathic Manual Therapy Techniques+Clinical Pilates group demonstrated significantly superior improvements exclusively in sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, p=0.034) and maximal Pressure Pain Threshold at the trapezius (p=0.035) compared to the Clinical Pilates-only group, while between-group differences for Widespread Pain Index and Symptom Severity Scale did not reach statistical significance (p>0.05).Conclusion
Integrating Osteopathic Manual Therapy Techniques into exercise-based rehabilitation presents promising preliminary evidence for enhancing central sensitization symptoms and sleep quality in fibromyalgia patients, though larger trials are needed.
Related
- Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment as a Therapeutic Approach for Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review
- Beyond manual technique: an integrated epistemological framework for the essential functions of osteopathic touch
- Osteopathic manipulative treatment as an adjunct therapy in a pediatric patient with chronic pancreatitis and visceral hyperalgesia: a case report
- Exploratory Agreement of 3D Body Surface Analysis with Expert Manual Assessment of Pelvic Malalignment in Patients with Non-Acute Low Back Pain: A Prospective Pilot Study with Linked Post-Hoc Analyses
- Cost-effectiveness of adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy for fibromyalgia: an economic evaluation alongside a single-centre randomised controlled trial in Brazil
BibTeX
@article{dengiz2026osteopathic,
title = {{Osteopathic manual therapy in fibromyalgia: a pilot study.}},
author = {Aziz Dengiz and Elif Gur Kabul and Gulsum Tikac and Bilge Basakci Calik and Uğur Karasu},
journal = {Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1590/1806-9282.20260646},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42879584},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Osteopathic manual therapy in fibromyalgia: a pilot study.
AU - Aziz Dengiz
AU - Elif Gur Kabul
AU - Gulsum Tikac
AU - Bilge Basakci Calik
AU - Uğur Karasu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/12
JO - Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992)
DO - 10.1590/1806-9282.20260646
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42879584
AB - Objective The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the preliminary efficacy and feasibility of integrating Osteopathic Manual Therapy Techniques combined with Clinical Pilates on pain, symptom severity, and sleep quality in patients with fibromyalgia.Methods Twenty women with fibromyalgia were randomized into Osteopathic Manual Therapy Techniques+Clinical Pilates (n=11) and Clinical Pilates (n=9) groups. The protocol lasted 6 weeks (3 sessions/week). Osteopathic Manual Therapy Techniques included rib raising, suboccipital myofascial release, Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) mobilization, diaphragm/mediastinum techniques, and visceral mobilizations. Primary outcomes were the Widespread Pain Index, Symptom Severity Scale, and Pressure Pain Threshold. Sleep was assessed via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.Results Both groups showed significant intra-group improvements (p<0.05). Within-group analyses revealed that the Osteopathic Manual Therapy Techniques+Clinical Pilates group achieved significant improvements in Widespread Pain Index (p=0.003), Symptom Severity Scale (p=0.005), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (p=0.007). However, in the between-group analysis of change scores, the Osteopathic Manual Therapy Techniques+Clinical Pilates group demonstrated significantly superior improvements exclusively in sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, p=0.034) and maximal Pressure Pain Threshold at the trapezius (p=0.035) compared to the Clinical Pilates-only group, while between-group differences for Widespread Pain Index and Symptom Severity Scale did not reach statistical significance (p>0.05).Conclusion Integrating Osteopathic Manual Therapy Techniques into exercise-based rehabilitation presents promising preliminary evidence for enhancing central sensitization symptoms and sleep quality in fibromyalgia patients, though larger trials are needed.
SN - 0104-4230
SN - 1806-9282
ER -