can an osteopathic rib-raising technique influence blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetic patients? An ABAB single case research design.
Item
- Title
- can an osteopathic rib-raising technique influence blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetic patients? An ABAB single case research design.
- Author(s)
- Carpenter, M
- Abstract
- Background: diabetes mellitus (type 2) is a common metabolic disorder characterised by persistent hyperglycaemia, which can lead to complications such as coronary disease. Research published in 1949 suggested an osteopathic rib-raising technique could provide a long-term decrease in blood glucose in diabetic patients by pancreatic stimulation via the sympathetic chain ganglia, however, the study was uncontrolled and poorly reported by modern standards. Objective: to investigate the effect of a rib-raising mobilisation on blood glucose in diabetic (type 2) patients, both in the short term (within 9Omins post-intervention) and medium term (6 days post-intervention) using a robust methodological approach. Design: ABAB single-case research design. Methods: diabetic (type 2) subjects were recruited from European School of Osteopathy clinic patient population. Subjects recorded fasting blood glucose measurements four times every morning (T1-T4) over s 12-day study period The intervention, consisting of 10 minutes supine rib-raising of left-sided ribs 2-5 at a rate of 12 cycles/min, was applied after Tl on days 6 and 12. T2, T3 and T4 represented 30, 60 and 90 minutes post-intervention. Results: Blood glucose was consecutively decreased at 60 and 90 minutes post-intervention in all four subjects, compared to 60 and 90 minute baseline average. Percentage of Non-overlapping Data (PND) scores indicated a 'very effective' treatment (100%) at 90 minutes. No significant medium-term change in average blood glucose was noted in any subject. Discussion: research documenting the sympathetic effects of rib-raising is scarce and contains conflicting conclusions of excitatory or inhibitory effects occurring at different rates of application. The decrease in blood glucose in this study is thought to be a result of decreased activity of glucose-raising mechanisms, mediated via the sympathetic chain ganglia This study appears to lend support to the theory of mobilisations causing centrally-mediated (rather than segmentally biased) somato-autonomic reflexes. Conclusion: rib-raising applied to the upper ribs consecutively decreases blood glucose at 60 and 90 minutes post-intervention. Due to the short-term nature of the effects, the technique does not appear to be clinically useful for influencing medium-term blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetic patients.
- presented at
- European School of Osteopathy
- Date Accepted
- 2015
- Date Submitted
- 2.12.2016 16:54:59
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 15886
- Inst-Identifier
- 1229
- Keywords
- diabetes, osteopathic, rib-raising, somato-visceral
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Carpenter, M, “can an osteopathic rib-raising technique influence blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetic patients? An ABAB single case research design.”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed April 23, 2025, https://library.wso.at/s/orw/item/595