Efeitos adicionais de um protocolo multimodal de osteopatia na dor e capacidade funcional de pacientes com dor lombar crônica não específica: ensaio clínico, controlado, randomizado e cego

Abstract

Introduction: Low back pain is a common condition and a public health problem, influenced by psychological, social, genetic and biophysical factors. It can be classified as acute or chronic and, when without anatomopathological cause, it is considered nonspecific. Osteopathy is an integrative approach that uses manual therapy that seeks to improve the mobility and function of body tissues. Objective: To evaluate the additional effects of osteopathy techniques on pain and functional capacity in individuals with chronic non-specific low back pain (DLCne). Methods: This was a blinded randomized controlled trial with 44 participants divided into two groups: i) Control group (GC) performed therapeutic exercises 2 times a week; ii) The Experimental Group (GE) received the same treatment as the GC, plus osteopathy every 15 days (4 sessions in 8 weeks). The primary outcome was pain intensity (NPRS). Secondary outcomes included functional disability (ODI), lumbar flexibility (hand-to-ground distance), catastrophizing (Start Back), and patient-specific functional scale. The assessments were carried out pre/post-intervention and 30- and 90-day follow-ups. Statistical tests considered p<0.05. Results: There was no significant difference between groups in clinical outcomes. However, both groups showed significant improvement in intragroup analyses for all variables except mobility. Conclusion: Osteopathy, as an adjunct to treatment, did not show additional effects on pain and functional capacity in patients with DLCne.