Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-qsmjn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T19:07:03.140Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Infantile postural asymmetry and osteopathic treatment: a randomized therapeutic trial

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 December 2005

Heike Philippi
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatric Neurology, University Children's Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Andreas Faldum
Affiliation:
Institute for Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Germany.
Angela Schleupen
Affiliation:
Center of Osteopathy, University Children's Hospital, Germany.
Bianka Pabst
Affiliation:
Center of Osteopathy, University Children's Hospital, Germany.
Tatjana Jung
Affiliation:
University Children's Hospital, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
Holger Bergmann
Affiliation:
University Children's Hospital, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
Imke Bieber
Affiliation:
University Children's Hospital, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
Christine Kaemmerer
Affiliation:
University Children's Hospital, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
Piet Dijs
Affiliation:
Center of Osteopathy, University Children's Hospital, Germany.
Bernd Reitter
Affiliation:
University Children's Hospital, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
Get access

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the therapeutic efficacy of osteopathic treatment in infants with postural asymmetry. A randomized clinical trial of efficacy with blinded videoscoring was performed. Sixty-one infants with postural asymmetry aged 6 to 12 weeks (mean 9wks) were recruited. Thirty-two infants (18 males, 14 females) with a gestational age of at least 36 weeks were found to be eligible and randomly assigned to the intervention groups, 16 receiving osteopathic treatment and 16 sham therapy. After a treatment period of 4 weeks the outcome was measured using a standardized scale (4–24 points). With sham therapy, five infants improved (at least 3 points), eight infants were unchanged (within 3 points), and three infants deteriorated (not more than –3 points); the mean improvement was 1.2 points (SD 3.5). In the osteopathic group, 13 infants improved and three remained unchanged; the mean improvement was 5.9 points (SD 3.8). The difference was significant (p=0.001). We conclude that osteopathic treatment in the first months of life improves the degree of asymmetry in infants with postural asymmetry.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
© 2006 Mac Keith Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)