Introduction

Traumatic musculoskeletal injuries may result in chronic pain and mobility restrictions, decreasing QoL and increasing predisposition to co-morbid disorders. Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) uses palpatory assessment and application of manual forces as adjunct intervention for musculoskeletal disease. European studies have demonstrated OMT"s potential benefits for a range of disease, but data on post-injury OMT are limited.

Methods

OMT is non-operative and individualized option for multimodal trauma care. In 2021 NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island Level 1 Trauma Center established a novel outpatient OMT for Trauma Program (OTP). We performed a retrospective analysis of OTP patients seen from January/2021 to December/2022. Chief complaint of refractory chronic (persistent ≥1 year) post-injury pain and mobility restrictions. Patients without F/U after the initial OMT session were excluded. Demographics, injury-specific, and OMT data were analyzed. Data are presented as percentages or median [IQR].

Results

22 patients met inclusion criteria; 5 were excluded, yielding 17 patients (29.8%) for analysis. 76.5% female, age- 46 [39.5-55] year-old. Patients presented 6.09 [3.00-21.3] years after inciting injury. MOI were MVC (58.8%), falls (23.5%), sports-related/lifting (17.6%). Prior to OTP, patients attempted 2 other treatment modalities and 2 medications without improvement. All patients reported qualitative improvement in pain and mobility with decrease in pain score of 3/10 (Fig. 1). After OMT, patients self-reported improved mobility (100%), ease of activities of daily living (58.8%), sleep hygiene (52.9%), anxiety/mood (52.9%), frequency of pain-free periods (47.1%). Univariate logistic regression models demonstrate OMT benefitted patients (Table 1).

Conclusions

OMT may benefit refractory chronic traumatic pain and mobility restrictions regardless of time since inciting injury. Further study including comparative analysis is warranted.

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