The Effect of Visceral Osteopathic Manual Therapy in Lumbar Disc Herniation

The Effect of Visceral Osteopathic Manual Therapy in Chronic Lumbar Disc Herniation

This study aims to investigate the impact of adding visceral osteopathic manual therapy techniques to conservative physical therapy on the lives of individuals with lumbar disc herniation.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Disk Hernisi; Visseral Manuel Terapi
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: osteopathic manual therapy; Other: FTR

Detailed Description

Chronic lumbar disc herniation is a very common problem. The aim of our study is to evaluate the effectiveness of visceral manual therapy in addition to classical physical therapy applications used in the treatment of chronic lumbar disc herniation problems. For this purpose, 40 patients diagnosed with chronic lumbar disc herniation who applied to the clinic will be divided into 2 groups, with 20 participants in each group. Participants will be randomly assigned to two groups using a randomization method: Classical Treatment Group (n=20) and Classical Treatment + Visceral Osteopathic Manual Therapy (VOMT) Group (n=20). Sessions will be administered by the same physiotherapist, with a session duration of 30 minutes, every other day, for a total of 5 sessions.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • şehitkamil
    • Gaziantep, şehitkamil, Turkey (Türkiye), 27090
      • Therapie KONZEPT

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being over 18 years of age
• Having chronic lumbar disc herniation
• Being able to communicate in Turkish
• Being willing to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Spinal Slippage
• Spinal Stenosis
• Having an Internal Fixator Implanted
• Having Acute Back Pain
• Having a Traumatic Injury
• Having Previous Surgery
• Being Over 70 Years Old
• Being Pregnant and Having Internal Organ Disease

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: group 1: FTR+ VOMT; Following conservative physical therapy, the FTR+VOMT group will receive visceral osteopathic manual therapy techniques including: CV4 Technique, Segmental Release, Hormonal Axis (Pituitary, Thyroid, Diaphragm), Liver and Stomach Mobilization, Pylor Sphincter and Ligament Hepato-gastricus Mobilization, Odi Sphincter Mobilization, Ilio-jejunum Sphincter Mobilization, Ilio-cecal Valve Mobilization, and Bowel and Colon Mobilization. These applications will be performed in 5 sessions, with one day in between. Each session will be 30 minutes long and performed by the same physiotherapist.	Other: osteopathic manual therapy; Group 1 will receive conservative physical therapy including TENS current, heat agent, and additionally, VOMT techniques such as CV4 Technique, Segmental Release, Hormonal Axis (Pituitary-Thyroid-Diaphragm), Liver, Stomach, Pyloris Sphincter, Ligamentum Hepato-gastricus, Sphincter Odi, Sphincter Ilio-jejunum, Ilio-cecal Valve, Bowel and Colon Mobilization.
Other: group 2; Group 2 will receive the same conservative physical therapy treatments as the VOMT group, for the same duration, but will not include manual therapy.	Other: FTR; Group 2 will only receive conservative physical therapy including TENS current and heat agents; none of the VOMT techniques will be applied.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL):	It is a scale developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and used to assess health-related quality of life. This scale is a comprehensive tool for evaluating individuals' physical, psychological, social, and environmental health status. WHOQOL is used in many areas such as health service planning, health policy development, clinical research, and evaluating the effectiveness of health services.The higher the score, the higher the life satisfaction. The Physical Health subscale has a minimum score of 7 and a maximum score of 35. The Psychological subscale has a minimum score of 6 and a maximum score of 30. The Social Relationships subscale has a minimum score of 3 and a maximum score of 15. The Environment subscale has a minimum score of 8 and a maximum score of 40.	The first assessment was conducted before the first session, a total of 5 sessions were administered with one day skipped, and the second assessment was conducted after the fifth session.
Visual Analog Scale	The VAS (Variable Rate of Pain) is used to subjectively assess pain intensity, typically expressed on a scale of 0 to 10. 0 indicates the absence of pain, while 10 represents the most severe pain. This scale helps patients visually understand and express the intensity of their pain. A higher numerical value indicates a higher level of pain, while a lower numerical value suggests a more positive outcome for the patient.	The first assessment was conducted before the first session, a total of 5 sessions were administered with one day skipped, and the second assessment was conducted after the fifth session.
Quebec Functional Scale of Lower Back Pain	It is a scale used to assess the severity, impact, and functional capacity of lower back pain. It is based on patient reports and evaluates daily living activities, mobility, and quality of life. The minimum score is 20, and the maximum score is 100. Higher scores are associated with a higher percentage of disability.	The first assessment was conducted before the first session, a total of 5 sessions were administered with one day skipped, and the second assessment was conducted after the fifth session.
World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL):	It is a scale developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and used to assess health-related quality of life. This scale is a comprehensive tool for evaluating individuals' physical, psychological, social, and environmental health status. WHOQOL is used in many areas such as health service planning, health policy development, clinical research, and evaluating the effectiveness of health services.	The first assessment was conducted before the first session, a total of 5 sessions were administered with one day skipped, and the second assessment was conducted after the fifth session.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
y balance test	It is a commonly used balance test and is used to assess the balance, core stability, and limb function of athletes. This test can help identify the risk of injury in athletes and track rehabilitation progress.	The first assessment was conducted before the first session, a total of 5 sessions were administered with one day skipped, and the second assessment was conducted after the fifth session.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Istanbul Rumeli University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 10, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 28, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): July 3, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 3, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 7, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 11, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 11, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 7, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: lumbar disc herniation; Quality of life; osteopathic manipulative treatment; visual analog scale; y balance test
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Bone Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Spinal Diseases; Hernia; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Intervertebral Disc Displacement
• Other Study ID Numbers: IstanbulRumeliU-ftr-MHB-1

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Sharing the data is not appropriate due to the personal data protection law.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No