Osteopathic Treatment May Improve Exercise Capacity in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

The investigators decided to perform an osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in a population of COPD patients. OMT was defined as the therapeutic application of manually guided forces by an osteopathic practitioner to improve physiologic function and/or support homeostasis that has been altered by somatic dysfunction. Concerning the respiratory system, osteopathy considers a model that describes the interdependent functions among five body components as follows: 1: the inherent motility of the brain and spinal cord; 2: fluctuation of the cerebrospinal fluid; 3: mobility of the intracranial and intraspinal membranes; 4: articular mobility of the cranial bones; 5: the involuntary mobility of the sacrum between the ilia. This model is the so called primary respiratory mechanism.