Does the CV4 osteopathic technique decrease blood pressure and heart rate on anxious subjects? An experimental study.
Item
- Title
- Does the CV4 osteopathic technique decrease blood pressure and heart rate on anxious subjects? An experimental study.
- Author(s)
- Otman, O
- Abstract
- Anxiety is a widespread health issue that is the cause of individual and societal distress as well as significant health costs. Cranial osteopathy and the practice of the compression of the fourth ventricle (CV4) technique is claimed to have beneficial effects on anxiety related complaints treated by osteopaths. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the CV4 technique can reduce anxiety levels measured through the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and heart rate (HR) of anxious subjects. Showing a reduction of anxiety amongst anxious subjects would provide an insight into the management of anxiety in the context of manual therapy. Twenty subjects selected from the results of a questionnaire assessing anxiety levels participated in an experiment in which their SBP, DBP and HR were measured. The experiment consisted of three phases: baseline, SHAM (touch only) and CV4. A fourth year student of the ESO (the author himself) applied the CV4 technique commonly used in cranial manipulation. Changes in SBP; DBP and HR were measured and statistically analysed. The hypothesis was that the application of a CV4 technique compared to SHAM (simple touch) reduces SBP, DBP and HR on anxious subjects. Additionally a statistically significant decrease in SBP was found between the SHAM and CV4 phases; and a decrease in HR was significant between the baseline and CV4 phases. The limited number of subjects in the study is likely to have led to a Type II error in the application of the statistical analysis. Other non-negligible sources of error and bias include: the lack of experience of the practitioner and the practitioner being the author himself, the subjects being osteopathic students aware of the aims of a CV4 technique, the discomfort caused by the automatic sphygmomanometer during the experiment. The additional findings showing decreases of SBP and HR during the experimental procedure suggest that simple touch may be able to reduce anxiety. This possible measurable effect of simple touch to the cranium without manipulation could have clinical applications in the management of anxiety and would require further investigation. Research on larger samples and assessing for more specific variables would be needed to elucidate the effects of CV4 and touch to the cranium for the management of anxiety in the context of manual therapy.
- presented at
- European School of Osteopathy
- Date Accepted
- 2011
- Date Submitted
- 22.1.2013 16:23:36
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 15293
- Inst-Identifier
- 1229
- Keywords
- CV4 technique; Blood pressure; Heart rate.
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Otman, O, “Does the CV4 osteopathic technique decrease blood pressure and heart rate on anxious subjects? An experimental study.”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 17, 2024, https://www.osteopathicresearch.com/s/orw/item/772