CONTEXT: When choosing to incorporate osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) into a patient's care, the risk-to-benefit ratio, the choice of treatment technique, as well as the frequency of treatments are always taken into consideration. This has been even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which social distancing has been the best preventative measure to decrease exposure. By increasing treatment intervals, one could not only limit possible exposure/spread of viruses but also decrease the overall cost to the system as well as to the individual. This is an expansion of a previous study in which quantifiable changes in cervical hysteresis characteristics post-OMT were documented utilizing a durometer (Ultralign SA201 R; Sigma Instruments; Cranberry, PA USA). This study compared two treatment modalities, muscle energy (ME) and high-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA) postcervical treatment. Subjects in this study were allowed to re-enroll, provided that they could be treated utilizing the alternate treatment modality. By allowing repeat subjects, analysis of the data for lasting effects of OMT could be observed. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether a significant change in cervical hysteresis would be observed after each treatment regardless of a short treatment interval. METHODS: A total of 34 subjects were retrospectively noted to be repeat subjects from a larger, 213-subject study. These 34 subjects were repeat participants who were treated with two different direct-treatment modalities 7 to 10 days apart. Each subject was randomly assigned to receive a single-segmental ME or HVLA treatment technique directed toward a cervical (C) segment (C3-C5 only). Subjects were objectively measured pretreatment in all cervical segments utilizing the Ultralign SA201 R, then treated with cervical OMT to a single segment, and finally reassessed at all cervical levels with the Ultralign SA201 R posttreatment to assess for change in cervical hysteresis. RESULTS: Statistically significant or suggestive changes (p-values 0.01 to 0.08) with good clinical effect size (0.30 or greater) were noted in all four components of the Ultralign SA201 R at multiple cervical levels after the first treatment, but only one component (frequency) had a statistically significant change after the second treatment (AA cervical level, p-value 0.01) with good clinical effect size (0.45). However, when comparing the post-first-treatment values to the pre-second-treatment values, no statistically significant differences (p-value 0.10 or higher) were observed between them. CONCLUSIONS: Statistically significant changes were noted after the first treatment; however, when comparing cervical hysteresis changes after the first treatment to the cervical hysteresis values prior to the second treatment delivered 7 to 10 days later, there were no statistically significant or suggestive changes. This data suggest that several post-OMT changes noted after the first treatment were still in effect and may indicate that follow-up visits for direct manipulation may be deferred for a least two weeks.
Reprinted from JAOA, The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. Copyright American Osteopathic Association. Permission given with the consent of the American Osteopathic Association.

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