Italian researchers Federica Tamburella and colleagues published an interesting study in Frontiers of Physiology in 2019. They randomized 30 blinded asymptomatic participants into placebo (passive touch) and OMT (whole body correction of somatic dysfunctions) groups. Both groups underwent 45 minutes of intervention and three measurements (before treatment, immediately after treatment, and three days after treatment) with Magnetic Resonance Arterial Spin Labeling to determine effects of osteopathy upon cerebral blood flow. Results showed significant decrease in brain perfusion in the OMT group after treatment in the posterior cingulate cortex and superior parietal lobule and increase in the contralateral posterior cingulate cortex three days after treatment. Therein, OMT was found to effect cerebral blood perfusion in short-term, warranting further investigation. Bearing in mind the osteopathic principle of the arterial supremacy, this study provides insights relevant to the osteopathic profession.
Tamburella, F., Piras, F., Piras, F., Spanò, B., Tramontano, M., Gili, T., 2019. Cerebral Perfusion Changes After Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: A Randomized Manual Placebo-Controlled Trial. Frontiers in Physiology, 10(403).