Unraveling the Molecular Determinants of Manual Therapy: An Approach to Integrative Therapeutics for the Treatment of Fibromyalgia and CFS/ME

Sly Saint

Sly Saint

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Unraveling the Molecular Determinants of Manual Therapy: An Approach to Integrative Therapeutics for the Treatment of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

Received: 2 July 2018 / Revised: 4 September 2018 / Accepted: 7 September 2018 / Published: 9 September 2018


José Andrés Espejo 1,†, María García-Escudero 2,† and Elisa Oltra 3,4,*
1
School of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, 46001 Valencia, Spain
2
School of Physiotherapy, Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, 46900 Valencia, Spain
3
School of Medicine, Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, 46001 Valencia, Spain
4
Unidad Mixta CIPF-UCV, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, 46012 Valencia, Spain
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract
Application of protocols without parameter standardization and appropriate controls has led manual therapy (MT) and other physiotherapy-based approaches to controversial outcomes. Thus, there is an urgency to carefully define standard protocols that elevate physiotherapy treatments to rigorous scientific demands. One way in which this can be achieved is by studying gene expression and physiological changes that associate to particular, parameter-controlled, treatments in animal models, and translating this knowledge to properly designed, objective, quantitatively-monitored clinical trials (CTs). Here, we propose a molecular physiotherapy approach (MPTA) requiring multidisciplinary teams, to uncover the scientific reasons behind the numerous reports that historically attribute health benefits to MT-treatments. The review focuses on the identification of MT-induced physiological and molecular responses that could be used for the treatment of fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). The systemic effects associated to mechanical-load responses are considered of particular relevance, as they suggest that defined, low-pain anatomic areas can be selected for MT treatment and yet yield overall benefits, an aspect that might result in it being essential to treat FM. Additionally, MT can provide muscle conditioning to sedentary patients without demanding strenuous physical effort, which is particularly detrimental for CFS/ME patients, placing MT as a real option for integrative medicine programs to improve FM and CFS/ME. View Full-Text
Click to expand...

http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/19/9/2673
 
Sly Saint said:
Unraveling the Molecular Determinants of Manual Therapy: An Approach to Integrative Therapeutics for the Treatment of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

José Andrés Espejo 1,†, María García-Escudero 2,† and Elisa Oltra 3,4,*

http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/19/9/2673
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this @Sly Saint .
I haven't had a chance to read it yet but I notice Elisa Oltra is one of the authors. She was on the NIH CDE project. I also see that Rowe's work on manual therapy is referenced.
 
I appreciate the explanation provided by the authors here: "Benefits from CBT/GET therapy have also been reported for CFS/ME patients by other CTs (the PACE trials) including 160 participants per group, when compared to specialist medical care (SMC) alone or adaptive pacing therapy (APT) [30]. The authors of the PACE trials claim that the beneficial effects were maintained for one year at long-term follow-up, with a median of 2.5 years after randomization [31]. However, serious study design concerns have been raised by the scientific community regarding the inappropriate case definition of enrolled participants, scores that do not support significant improvement of fatigue and physical functioning at long-term, plus data indicative of subjective improvement by specialist medical care and APT to the same level as by CBT and GET, or without any additional therapies [32,33]."
 
rvallee said:
I don't remember the source, but a POTS study did tilt table tests on mice.

So someone built a tiny weeny little mouse-sized tilt table and I just can't get out of my head how adorable that is.
Click to expand...
You do know that experimental animals are almost always killed afterwards, don't you?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom