Osteopathic manual treatment in women with endometriosis: A scoping review on clinical symptoms, fertility and quality of life

Magalie De Strooper, Len De Nys, L Theys, Alain Vermeersch, Jörgen Quaghebeur
In: International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine · 2024 · vol. 54 , pp. 100733 · doi:10.1016/j.ijosm.2024.100733 · W4402390435
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This scoping review found low-to-moderate quality evidence that Osteopathic Manual Treatment may improve quality of life and pregnancy success rates in women with endometriosis, with limited evidence for symptom improvement.

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Abstract

Background: Endometriosis presents significant treatment challenges and economic burdens, necessitating the exploration of alternative therapies such as Osteopathic Manual Treatment (OMT) to potentially improve patient outcomes.Objective: This scoping review aimed to systematically map existing research on the intervention effects of OMT's on clinical symptoms, fertility, and quality of life in women with endometriosis, and review the current quality of evidence regarding these outcomes.Design: Databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and others, were searched until July 31, 2024 following PRISMA-ScR guidelines.The methodological quality was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS).Results: The review included thirteen studies revealing low-to-moderate quality evidence for OMT to increase pregnancy success rates and improve quality of life.There is limited evidence for improvements in clinical symptoms such as dyspareunia, and dysmenorrhea.Small sample sizes, methodological variability, and the lack of control groups in many studies limit the current evidence. Conclusion:The synthesis discovered a body of evidence suggesting OMT's potential to improve a range of symptoms associated with endometriosis.However, the current evidence base has several methodological limitations, including small sample sizes, lack of control groups, and the predominance of observational study designs.These limitations mitigate the strength of the conclusions that can be drawn regarding OMT's efficacy; and highlights the imperative for well-designed randomized controlled trials that can offer more definitive evidence. Implications for practice There is low-to-moderate evidence suggesting OMT may benefit clinical symptoms and quality of life in women with endometriosis. There is low-to-moderate evidence suggesting OMT increases pregnancy success rates in women with endometriosis. Current evidence has limitations such as small sample sizes, varied methodological quality, and inconsistent diagnostic methods, emphasizing the need for more rigorous future research.

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Condition tags

endometriosisdysmenorrheadyspareunia

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

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