Osteopathy and physiotherapy compared to physiotherapy alone on fatigue in long COVID: Study protocol for a pragmatic..., 2022, Curi et al

Andy

Andy

Retired committee member
Abstract

Objective
Fatigue is among the most common symptoms of the long-term effects of coronavirus (long COVID). This study aims to compare the effectiveness of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) combined with physiotherapy treatment (PT) compared to PT alone on fatigue and functional limitations after two months post randomization in adults with long COVID.

Methods
This is a study protocol for a two-arm, assessor-blinded, pragmatic randomized controlled superiority trial. Seventy-six participants will be randomly allocated to OMT + PT or PT. The PT includes usual care interventions including motor and respiratory exercises targeting cardiorespiratory and skeletal muscle functions. The OMT entails direct and indirect musculoskeletal, viceral and cranial techniques. Patients will be evaluated before and after a 2-month intervention program, and at 3-month follow-up session. Primary objectives comprise fatigue and functional limitations at 2-month post randomization as assessed by the fatigue severity scale and the Post-COVID Functional State scale. Secondary objectives comprise fatigue and functional limitations at 3 months, and the perceived change post-treatment as assessed by the Perceived Change Scale (PCS-patient).

Open access, https://www.journalofosteopathicmedicine.com/article/S1746-0689(22)00019-0/fulltext
 
I can't think of any reason why osteopathy would have any relevance in treating Long Covid. (I speak as a long ago qualified, non practising osteopath). This looks like another attempt by alt med practitioners to get a piece of the pie treating millions of sick people.
Some of the techniques they talk about were not around when I trained, but I still can't see their relevance.
 
What if there's a clown present in the room? Maybe it changes the whole psychodynamic of the vibrations of mindful quantum channels, and stuff?

I demand this experiment be repeated with and without the presence of a certified clown, otherwise not all psychosocial confounding factors will have been taken into account.
 
1) So if they are assessing the usual treatment vs usual treatment + extra hand holding---> How do you assess whether the patients rates improvement on the extra hand holding instead of the physical nature of the treatment?

2) so they are measuring fatigue and function... and yet the treatments have nothing to do with improving fatigue.
 
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