Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) may offer modest improvements in pulmonary function for asthma patients, according to a recent systematic review. Researchers analyzed five small clinical studies comparing OMT to sham treatment or standard care, measuring outcomes like peak expiratory flow and forced vital capacity.
Some studies reported positive effects, hinting that OMT could help address respiratory mechanical dysfunction linked to asthma. However, the evidence base is weak: all trials had small sample sizes, inconsistent protocols, and variable outcome measures.
The review rated the overall certainty of evidence as low to moderate, with a moderate risk of bias. Authors stress these findings are preliminary and should be interpreted cautiously.
Definitive conclusions await larger, rigorously designed randomized controlled trials to determine if OMT has a reliable role in asthma management-and for which patients it might work best.