Osteopathic manipulative treatment can improve pain in postpartum women

Preliminary results demonstrate that osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) helps reduce acute pain in postpartum women, regardless of whether they delivered vaginally or via cesarean.

A recent study in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (JAOA) looked at 59 women from St. Barnabas Hospital in Bronx, New York, who received 20-30 minutes of OMT within the first 48 hours of delivery. Thirteen patients reported being pain-free after OMT. Through the use of OMT, the number of patients reporting lower back pain decreased by 30%, abdominal pain by 17% and vaginal pain by 10%.

“A mother’s body goes through a great deal of stress both physically and mentally during childbirth,” says Olivia Cannon, DO, the vice president of the American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “This study shows that by combining osteopathic manipulation with other pain therapies, we can help new mothers get back on their feet quicker and improve their quality of life back at home with a new infant.”

Read the JAOA study to learn more about the researchers’ findings.