Get to know the projects and researchers whose work has earned AOA funding.
The AOA has funded myriad research projects designed to evaluate the effectiveness of osteopathic medicine in two key areas. Learn more about grant opportunities for physicians, fellows, residents and osteopathic medical students, as well as new investigators.
Grants supported three designated focus areas:
Grant periods range from six to 18 months. Recipients are strongly encouraged to submit their research for publication in The Journal of Osteopathic Medicine.
2026 Research Grant Recipients
Prevalence of Somatic Dysfunction in Motorsport Athletes: Benchmarks for OMM/OMT | Aidan Reid Davis, OMS II, is an osteopathic medical student at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM). He conducts motorsports medicine and performance research through the Spartan Motorsport Performance Lab under the mentorship of David Ferguson, PhD. His research focuses on driver health, safety, human performance and physiological responses to the unique demands of motorsports.
Davis has contributed to research involving Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR and IMSA, with projects examining driver heat strain, thermoregulation, cooling strategies, physiologic monitoring and driver safety. His work has provided opportunities to collaborate with physicians, researchers, safety personnel and motorsport organizations to better understand the physical demands placed on drivers and crew members in the racing environment.
As an osteopathic medical student, Davis has expanded his research interests to investigate the role of osteopathic medicine within motorsports. His current research examines the integration of osteopathic assessment and manipulative medicine for drivers and crew members, with a focus on musculoskeletal function, range of motion, pain and performance. Through this work, he hopes to further establish the role of osteopathic physicians in motorsports medicine and contribute to improved health, safety and performance throughout the sport.
Somatic Dysfunction Characterization following Cerebrovascular Disease (SOMADC) – Biomarker Study | Alan Yee, DO, is a vascular neurologist and professor of neurology at the University of California Davis School of Medicine. He received his osteopathic medical degree from the Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM) and completed residencies in internal medicine and neurology at the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, respectively, followed by fellowship training in neurocritical care and stroke at University of California, San Francisco.
He currently serves as the associate program director for the neurology residency and vascular neurology fellowship programs. As a core medical educator, Dr. Yee developed interprofessional and post-graduate training curricula to improve neurological care among health professionals. Dr. Yee’s research portfolio includes published work on neurologic prognostication in patients with critical brain disease, systemic manifestations of neurocritical illness, brain death determination, cerebrovascular disease, molecular markers in cerebral hemorrhage, medical education and palpatory examiner reliability after stroke. His current scholarship efforts focus on understanding the relationship between musculoskeletal health (i.e., somatic dysfunction) on central nervous system functional reorganization, biomarkers of movement efficiency, long-term recovery and quality-of-life after stroke.
Hepatitis B Booster Vaccine Augmentation by Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment | Hendrik Szurmant, PhD, is a professor of microbiology at Western University of Health Sciences/College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (WesternU/COMP), where he directs translational research integrating microbiology, immunology and osteopathic medicine. His prior work includes serving as principal investigator on NIH R01-funded research investigating signaling pathways and cell wall regulation in Gram-positive bacteria, as well as leading interdisciplinary computational biology projects focused on protein-protein interaction prediction. More recently, Dr. Szurmant’s research has focused on osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) and immune modulation, including randomized controlled studies demonstrating enhanced antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination following lymphatic pump treatment. Dr. Szurmant also serves as founding director of the biomedical and clinical research track and co-director of the Office for Student Research, where he mentors osteopathic medical students in biomedical and translational research. His current research program aims to establish mechanistic and clinical evidence supporting osteopathic approaches to immune health and vaccination responsiveness.
Cutaneous Microvascular Responses to Visceral Stimulation Referencing Classical Chapman Points | Jacob Scott Warner-Palacio, OMS III, is an osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) fellow at Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine (NoordaCOM). He completed his undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University, earning Bachelor of Science degrees in both neuroscience and psychology. After spending two years in Brazil, he earned additional certifications in Portuguese and Spanish, collaborating with many hospitals and clinics in research. He earned his MBA in healthcare administration from Utah Valley University and now works to promote high-quality research in OMM, as well as enhancing the field of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in general practice.
As an OMM fellow, he runs the Noorda Osteopathic Research Collaboration, where he conducts research in PM&R, sports medicine, osteopathy, metabolism and mental health. Warner-Palacio enjoys international collaboration and often participates in research projects with medical schools across the globe, including Brazil, Turkey and Peru. With a graduate diploma in international medicine, Warner-Palacio frequently looks for new research opportunities, and aims to spread principles of osteopathic medicine worldwide.
Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment of C-Section Scar in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain | John M. Popovich Jr., PhD, DPT, ATC, is the associate director of the Center for Neuromusculoskeletal Clinical Research and associate professor in the Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM). Dr. Popovich is a clinician-scientist whose research focuses on biomechanical and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying neuromusculoskeletal conditions and advancing evidence-based, patient-centered care. He earned his clinical and research doctorate degrees from the University of Southern California, where he investigated movement patterns and biomechanical factors associated with low back pain. His research has spanned preclinical models to randomized clinical trials, with expertise in neuromusculoskeletal biomechanics, imaging and osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). He has served as an investigator on federally funded studies evaluating OMT in patients with chronic neck and low back pain and collaborates with an interdisciplinary team of clinicians, scientists and engineers. The AOA-funded research investigates OMT for Cesarean section scars in postpartum patients with low back pain, with the goal of expanding evidence-based treatment options in women’s health.
Evaluation of Sphenopalatine Ganglion OMT Release and Anesthetic Block in Refractory Migraine | Nathan Nakken, DO, MS, currently serves as chair of osteopathic principles and practice (OPP) at Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine (NoordaCOM). His academic background includes physiology, family medicine and neuromusculoskeletal medicine. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese with a minor in music as well as a Master of Science in Chinese from Brigham Young University. He graduated with his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM). Dr. Nakken pursued a dual residency program in family medicine and osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine. With extensive background in curricular leadership, academic instruction and institutional advancement, he strives to advocate for osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) across the nation. Dr. Nakken emphasizes biomechanical and mechanistic clarity, with a strong focus on quantifiable physiologic changes and patient-oriented outcomes. As the OPP chair, Dr. Nakken instills within rising osteopathic physicians a deeply rooted passion for holistic medicine and patient care, ensuring that the rising generation of students value evidence-based research outcomes in OMT. He continues to promote the banner of osteopathy in every lecture and patient interaction, and enthusiastically encourages research projects focused on osteopathic care.
Pilot Trial Evaluating Efficacy of OMT in OA Management | Roberto J. Fajardo, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Applied Biomedical Sciences at the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM). He earned his PhD from Stony Brook University and completed his postdoctoral fellowship in orthopedic biomechanics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard teaching hospital. His current work centers on improving the participation, experience and outcomes of Hispanic and other minority patients living with hip and knee osteoarthritis, populations that underutilize total joint arthroplasty and face worse postsurgical outcomes. Dr. Fajardo is a co-founder of Amigos en Medicina, a free joint pain clinic serving the medically underserved communities of San Antonio’s southside. Recognizing that many patients in these communities approach medical care and surgical intervention with skepticism, his research prioritizes evidence-based conservative treatments that are accessible, culturally acceptable, and effective. Among those treatments, osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) holds promise, and Dr. Fajardo is committed to advancing the evidence base that the field urgently needs, moving OMT research toward rigorous, clinically actionable science.
2025 Research Grant Recipients
Diagnosis and Treatment of Somatic Dysfunction Related to Innominate Asymmetry | Clarence Nicodemus, DO, PhD, is a professor, clinician and the director of clinical research in the department of neuromusculoskeletal medicine/osteopathic manipulative medicine (NMM/OMM) at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM). He is also director of the MSU Center for Neuromusculoskeletal Clinical Research (CNCR).
Dr. Nicodemus earned his PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of California at Davis in 1993. He graduated from MSUCOM with his DO in 2004 and completed his residency in NMM in 2007. He is AOA board-certified through the American Osteopathic Board of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (AOBNMM).
Previously, he worked as a research engineer in rehabilitation for the State of California as well as in bioastronautics with Lockhead Engineering and Sciences Company at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. From 2008-2016, Dr. Nicodemus established a private solo practice in Monterey, California. While there, he was also on the Board of the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California (OPSC) until he returned to MSUCOM in 2016 to take up his current position.
Enhancing Osteopathic Medical Education through Cinematic Virtual Reality | Elizabeth A. Beverly, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Primary Care at Ohio University-Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM). In 2008, Dr. Beverly graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in biobehavioral health. Dr. Beverly completed a five-year postdoctoral fellowship in behavioral diabetes at Harvard Medical School with the Joslin Diabetes Center in 2013. In 2021, she was named as a recipient of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s (OHF) Ralph S. Licklider, DO, Endowed Professorship in behavioral diabetes.
Dr. Beverly’s research in diabetes focuses on understanding the linkages among psychosocial concerns, self-care and health outcomes. She utilizes a mixed-methods approach to explore the intersection of culture, social drivers of health and diabetes management within rural Appalachian communities in Ohio.
Investigating the Efficacy of Osteopathic Medicine for Chemotherapy Induced Neuropathic Pain | Jennifer Ashley Belsky, DO, MS, is an attending physician and serves as the director of pediatric and adolescent young adult lymphoma at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. Dr. Belsky’s clinical focus is treating children and young adults with acute leukemias and lymphomas. Her research in medical supportive care (cancer control) aligns closely with her clinical interests and is driven by the overarching goal of improving the comprehensive care of children undergoing cancer treatment. She leads supportive care initiatives within the department and is dedicated to reducing treatment-related toxicities to help patients experience a less burdensome chemotherapy journey. As part of these efforts, Dr. Belsky conducts research focused on identifying the specific needs of pediatric patient populations related to both acute and long-term toxicities. Her work emphasizes reducing pain and enhancing supportive care strategies, with particular attention to side effects such as constipation and neuropathy.
Dr. Belsky is committed to addressing the challenges of accurately measuring pain and other debilitating symptoms in young children, striving to identify objective biomarkers and improve patient-reported outcome measures to better serve this vulnerable population.
The Distinctive Osteopathic Approach to Chronic Pain Management | John C. Licciardone, DO, MS, MBA, is the first recipient of a regents professorship awarded by University of North Texas Health Science Center/Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSC/TCOM) and currently holds the Distinguished Chair in Clinical Research with the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation (OHF).
Dr. Licciardone is the director of the Osteopathic Research Center and its national pain research registry, PRECISION. He is the recipient of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Midcareer Investigator Award and previously served as an NIH expert panelist on its National Advisory Council for Complementary and Integrative Health. Dr. Licciardone also directed the OSTEOPATHIC Trial, which was funded by the NIH to explore osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) efficacy. He helped to develop the NIH’s Federal Pain Research Strategy and is a co-investigator in the $14 million PACBACK Trial, also sponsored by the NIH.
In 2008, Dr. Licciardone gave the keynote address at the Advancing Osteopathy conference to celebrate the recognition of osteopaths in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), which included a reception with His Royal Highness Charles III. Previously, Dr. Licciardone advised two U.S. Surgeons General on the role of osteopathic physicians in American healthcare. In 2007, the American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) honored Dr. Licciardone with its Gutensohn-Denslow Award for devoted lifetime service and contributions to research and education.
2024 Research Grant Recipients
A Molecular Approach to Examining the Immune Stimulatory Impact of Lymphatic Pump Technique | Stephen Andrew DiGiuseppe, PhD, is a virologist who graduated from Louisiana State University Health in Shreveport, Louisiana. He completed his postdoc training at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. DiGiuseppe is an assistant professor at Edward Via Osteopathic Medical School (VCOM) in Monroe, Louisiana. He teaches courses in medical microbiology and shares his passion for pathogenic microbes with students. Dr. DiGiuseppe oversees several research projects focusing on understanding how viruses hijack protein synthesis while subverting the innate immune response and evolutionary adaptations in the transmission of coronaviruses. He has expanded his research focus areas to include collaborations with osteopathic physicians to investigate how osteopathic manipulation can be used to stimulate the immune system to protect against or expedite the clearance of viral infections.
Dr. DiGiuseppe is very enthusiastic about research and encourages his students to participate. His students have gone on to be selected for Researcher of the Year and Student Doctor of the Year, winning poster awards and co-authoring several publications.
2023 Research Grant Recipients
Somatic Dysfunction Characterization Following Acute Cerebrovascular Disease (SOMADC-AC Study) | Alan Yee, DO, is a vascular neurologist and associate professor of neurology at the University of California Davis School of Medicine. He received his osteopathic medical degree from Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Yee completed residencies in internal medicine and neurology at the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, respectively, followed by fellowship training in neurocritical care and stroke at the University of California San Francisco. He serves as the associate program director for the neurology residency and vascular neurology fellowship programs. As a core medical educator, he developed interprofessional and post-graduate training curricula to improve neurological care among health professionals. Dr. Yee’s previous research focused on neurologic prognostication in patients with critical brain disease. His current research efforts focus on neurologic medical education, osteopathic examination rater reliability and the association between somatic dysfunction and stroke-related outcomes. In addition to providing acute and critical cerebrovascular care at UC Davis, he established a novel OMM clinic for stroke survivors with chronic physical disability.
Effectiveness of the Osteopathic Pedal Pump in Reducing Lower Limb Volume in Older Adults with Chronic Leg Lymphedema | Donald Noll, DO, graduated from the A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1987. He completed this internal medicine residency training from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1990 and a fellowship in geriatric medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine (now a part of Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine) in 1992. His academic research interest has focused on clinical applications of osteopathic manipulations for common health problems in the elderly. He has authored 20 original peer-reviewed papers relating to the use of osteopathic manipulation for pneumonia, chronic obstructive lung disease, influenza vaccine, improving immune function, applications of osteopathic philosophy, falls prevention, leg length discrepancies and, most recently, leg edema. Chronic leg edema and related lymphedema is a common chronic problem in the elderly refractory to conventional treatments that leads to significant morbidity. The osteopathic pedal lymphatic pump is a novel technique that is easy to apply and shows great promise for treating this condition.
Assessment of the Therapeutic Efficacy of OMT on Chronic Low Back Pain: An Integrated Sonographic and Machine Learning Analysis of Thoracolumbar Fascia Glide Impairment | Albert Kozar, DO, is a primary care sports medicine/NMM-OMM specialist with 20+ years of clinical practice and 15 years of collegiate team physician experience. He is board certified in NMM-OMM, sports medicine and family practice. He has studied MSK ultrasound since 2005 and became nationally certified in 2012 as part of the first pioneering group in the country to take the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) certification exam. Dr. Kozar works with MSKUS, which internationally teaches musculoskeletal ultrasound courses, master classes and cadaver dissection. His primary research projects have been utilizing various modes of ultrasound, grey-scale, doppler and shear-wave elastography, to study patellar tendons in athletes and the thoracolumbar fascia in individuals with low back pain, as well as assess visceral organ function or motion before and after OMT. He has been a national lecturer for the last several years on diagnostic and guided interventions with musculoskeletal ultrasound, OMT, motor control rehabilitation and regenerative medicine. In 2014, Dr. Kozar co-authored a DVD entitled “Fundamentals of Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound: An Anatomical Approach to Upper and Lower Extremity, Pelvis, Abdomen and Groin.”
Chronic Pain Management Provided by Osteopathic vs. Allopathic Physicians: Comparison of Patient-Reported Outcomes Over 36 Months | John C. Licciardone, DO, MS, MBA, is the first recipient of a Regents Professorship awarded by University of North Texas Health Science Center/Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and holds the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Distinguished Chair in Clinical Research. He directs the Osteopathic Research Center and its national pain research registry, PRECISION. He received a Midcareer Investigator Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and later served as an NIH expert panelist and on its National Advisory Council for Complementary and Integrative Health. He directed the OSTEOPATHIC Trial funded by NIH that showed OMT efficacy. He served to help develop NIH’s Federal Pain Research Strategy and is a co-investigator in the $14 million PACBACK Trial sponsored by NIH. He served as a World Health Organization consultant on international regulatory and safety issues relating to osteopathy. He gave the keynote address at Advancing Osteopathy 2008 to celebrate recognition of osteopaths in the UK’s National Health Service, including a reception with His Royal Highness, then-Prince of Wales, King Charles III. He advised two U.S. Surgeons General on the role of osteopathic physicians in American health care. The American Osteopathic Foundation honored Dr. Licciardone with its Gutensohn-Denslow Award for devoted lifetime service and contributions to research and education.
Executive summary:
Osteopathic physicians take a whole-person approach to medical care that may be seen in their relationships with patients and may involve using osteopathic manipulative treatment as an alternative to opioid therapy in patients with chronic pain. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) treated by osteopathic and allopathic physicians in the United States using a pragmatic design reflecting medical care in real-world settings, including an assessment of potential mediators of osteopathic medical care.
A retrospective cohort study was conducted using patients with CLBP selected from the Pain Registry for Epidemiological, Clinical and Interventional Studies and Innovation (PRECISION) from September 2016 through September 2024. Patients were followed at quarterly encounters for up to 36 months after PRECISION enrollment to determine if they were receiving their CLBP medical care from either osteopathic or allopathic physicians. Outcomes pertaining to pain, function, pain impact, health-related quality of life and the frequency of chronic widespread pain and CLBP recovery were also measured at these encounters using generalized estimating equations. Results were adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics in multivariable analyses. Regression-based analyses were used to determine if osteopathic manipulative treatment, opioid prescribing or physician empathy mediate the outcomes of osteopathic medical care.
There were 1491 patients in the study, including 278 (18.6%) and 1213 (81.4%) treated by osteopathic and allopathic physicians, respectively. A total of 8854 encounters were completed over 36 months, including 2107 (23.8%) and 6747 (76.2%) in the osteopathic and allopathic medical care groups, respectively. The adjusted means (95% CIs) for patients treated by osteopathic vs allopathic physicians were 6.3 (6.0-6.6) vs 6.5 (6.3-6.7) for low back pain intensity (P=0.05); 14.8 (13.8-15.8) vs. 15.6 (14.8-16.4) for back-related disability (P=0.008); 31.9 (30.6-33.2) vs. 32.7 (31.7-33.7) for pain impact (P=0.07); and 57.8 (56.7-58.8) vs. 58.4 (57.6-59.3) for HRQOL deficits (P=0.04). The frequency of CWP occurrence (RR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.87-1.15; P=0.98) and CLBP recovery (RR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.38-1.11; P=0.12) did not differ between the osteopathic and allopathic medical care groups after adjusting for potential confounders. The significant results pertaining to pain, function and HRQOL were consistently and most strongly mediated by physician empathy and to a lesser extent by osteopathic manipulative treatment.
This study found that patients with CLBP treated by osteopathic physicians reported better outcomes for pain, function and HRQOL than patients treated by allopathic physicians over 36 months of follow-up. These effects of osteopathic medical care were most consistently and strongly mediated by physician empathy and, to a lesser extent, by OMT. Osteopathic medical care was not associated with decreased CWP occurrence or increased CLBP recovery. Future research should explore other aspects of osteopathic medical care that may mediate better outcomes pertaining to pain, function and HRQOL.
Pilot Study Evaluating the Elasticity and Shear Wave Modulus (Stiffness) of the Median Nerve in Patients with Mild to Moderate Idiopathic Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Receiving OMT and Conservative Therapy | Roland E. Gazaille, III, DO, is a board-certified diagnostic radiologist with an interest in musculoskeletal imaging, including MRI and MSK ultrasound. He received his medical degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2005 and completed his diagnostic radiology residency at Grandview Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio in 2010 and a musculoskeletal radiology fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan in 2011. Dr. Gazaille has served as the program director of the Kettering Health Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program since 2014. He is a member of the Society of Skeletal Radiology (SSR), the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) and the Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR). Dr. Gazaille is also a member and sits on the Board of Directors of the American Osteopathic College of Radiology (AOCR). Dr. Gazaille has been with Kettering Network Radiologists, Inc. since 2005.
2023 AOA OMM Observational & Explorative Focused Hypotheses Research Grant Recipient
Role of OMT in the Management of Persistent Post-COVID-19 Symptoms – A Pilot Prospective Cohort Study | Brian F. Degenhardt, DO, is a 1989 graduate of the Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) at Northeast Regional Medical Center and is board certified in neuromusculoskeletal medicine/osteopathic manipulative medicine. Dr. Degenhardt is the assistant vice president for osteopathic research at A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, co-director of the Center for Research in OMM at the A.T. Still Research Institute, an Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Endowed Chair and the director of DO-Touch.NET, an international practice-based research network assessing the clinical usefulness and safety of OMM. He oversees numerous areas of research with a primary focus on directing research in the areas of palpatory diagnosis and OMT. His published work demonstrates a broad scope of research, evaluating the reliability of palpatory diagnostic tests, objectifying somatic dysfunction, evaluating the association of biomarkers and pain with OMT, health benefits of wellness programs, the impact of OMT on a variety of conditions such as otitis media, pneumonia in the elderly, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the use of raster-stereography in assessing posture.
2023 AOA Physician In Training Research Grant Recipient
Urological National Surgical and Trauma Quality Improvement Projects | Young Son, DO, is currently a PGY-3 urology resident in Jefferson, New Jersey. He attended Pennsylvania State University for undergraduate studies in biology and completed medical school at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Currently, he is investigating machine learning and its utilization with large national databases. The objectivity of random forest models or neural networks allows to rid investigator bias for postoperative outcomes. He is also currently working with patients that underwent prostatectomy, nephrectomy or cystectomy.
2022 Research Grant Recipients
Changes in Pain, Spasticity, and Quality of Life after use of Counterstrain Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury | David Dolbow, DPT, PhD, RKT has over 33 years of experience working in rehabilitation medicine with the Veterans Affairs Medical System as a Kinesiotherapist, Exercise Physiologist, Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Research Specialist. Dr. Dolbow has treated individuals with various physical conditions and has a Certification in Neurologic Clinic Practice. Dr. Dolbow has taught at the university level for eight and a half years (University of Southern Mississippi – four and a half years) and at William Carey University – four years). Over the past decade, Dr. Dolbow has been investigating the effects of spinal cord injury on functional mobility, body composition and the risk of secondary comorbidities. Dr. Dolbow’s research interests include improving the quality of life in those with spinal cord injuries and other paralytic conditions by improving functional mobility and decreasing secondary morbidities such as obesity and cardiometabolic diseases. Recently, Dr. Dolbow and Ajay Sharma, DO, have teamed up with students from the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Physical Therapy Department at William Carey University to study the effectiveness of osteopathic manual techniques in decreasing neurogenic pain after spinal cord injury.
Treating Chronic Cervicogenic Head and Neck Pain with Osteopathic Manipulation and Exercise Therapy | Richard Hallgren, PhD, received a PhD degree in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University in 1974. His long-term research goal is to implement cost-effective treatment protocols to improve patient outcomes. His research team will test the combined effectiveness of OMT and focused exercise therapy to decrease headache measures of frequency, intensity and duration in a cohort of female patients diagnosed with chronic cervicogenic headaches.
Professor Hallgren has previously reported that fatty infiltration of RCPm muscles is associated with chronic cervicogenic headaches. Weakened RCPm muscles would be expected to compromise the functional relationship between these muscles and the pain-sensitive spinal dura, resulting in referred headache pain. Positive outcomes from this study will not definitively prove that the dura is the source of headache pain. However, considering the present opioid crisis, the use of OMT and exercise therapy to reduce head and neck pain in a population of female patients presents a particularly attractive approach to health care.
Serological Assessment of the Effect of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatments in Conjunction with COVID-19 Booster Shots | Sebastien Fuchs, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) of Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California. Dr. Fuchs’ research focus has been the renin-angiotensin system for over two decades, which includes ACE-2, the receptor for the SARS-COV-2 virus.
With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Fuchs has initiated a clinical trial to establish a hypothesized role for osteopathic manipulative treatment in support of vaccine efficacy. Specifically, the trial aims to test whether a short series of lymphatic osteopathic manipulative pump procedures given in conjunction with COVID-19 vaccination and booster shots will stimulate the immune response and thus increase the anti-Spike protein immunoglobulin titers. The frequency of spontaneous breakthrough infections and their symptoms will be correlated with immunoglobulin titers in treatment and control groups. Dr. Fuchs is a strong advocate for the inclusion of osteopathic medical students in research projects. Because of his mentoring efforts, student enrollment in research at COMP has been ever-increasing, with over 50% of current students actively engaged in research projects.
Use of High-Precision Phase Contrast MRI Flow Technique to Assess Changes in Cerebral Blood Flow Before and After OMT in Mild Cognitive Impairment | Kendi Hensel, DO, received her DO from Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. After completing a traditional rotating internship, she moved to the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, and was one of the first graduates from a combined Family Practice and Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine residency. She returned to her native Texas in 2004 to join the faculty of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. She has been an investigator and treatment provider on several OMM research studies. In 2006, she became the first DO to receive a K23 Award from the NIH-NCCIH. This project studied the effects of OMM on pregnant women. She received her PhD in OMM Clinical Research and Education in 2009 from UNTHSC-Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. She served as the 2019-2020 President of the American Academy of Osteopathy, and served for six years as a Section Editor of the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. She is currently involved in clinical, educational and research activities at TCOM and in national efforts to improve the evidence base and utilization of OMM. Her research interests include mechanistic and clinical effectiveness studies of OMM.
Quantitative Ultrasound Biomarkers to Assess Upper Trapezius Muscles in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain | Jing Gao, MD, FAIUM, is the Director of ultrasound in Research and Education at Rocky Vista University and adjunct research faculty at Weill Cornell Medicine. She completed her education in medicine, Chinese traditional medicine and radiology residency in 1976, 1980 and 1984, respectively. Before joining Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM) in 2017, she worked for New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine for almost three decades. She has strong experience leading clinical ultrasound research and teaching radiology residents and medical students. Her current research focuses on quantitative ultrasound to assess chronic pain, somatic dysfunction, OMT effect, cardiovascular function and NAFLD. She has presented research reports nationally and internationally. She has served as a member of RSNA/AIUM/QIBA committees of ultrasound volume blood flow (VBF) and pulse-echo quantitative ultrasound (PEQUS). She has also served as an editorial board member for three journals: Clinical Imaging (Elsevier), Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine (Wiley) and Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (Elsevier). The list of her publications can be found online.
Executive summary:
Osteopathic assessment and manipulative treatment (OMT) have been used in managing chronic neck pain and neck somatic dysfunction. However, osteopathic assessments lack quantitative measures to detect muscle abnormalities and evaluate the effect of OMT. The aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility of using ultrasound shear wave velocity (SWV) to assess neck somatic dysfunction and evaluating effects of OMT for neck somatic dysfunction.
The study was successfully completed through a cooperative work between ultrasound specialist and osteopathic physician/fellows at RVUCOM performed ultrasound scans, osteopathic assessments on 51 healthy controls and 107 patients with neck somatic dysfunction. OMT was used to manage patients with neck somatic dysfunction. The study results strongly demonstrated the feasibility of ultrasound SWV to determining neck somatic dysfunction and identify the change in muscle stiffness after OMT. Ultrasound results correlated to osteopathic assessments. We also observed good intra- and inter-observer reliability in performing muscle SWV measurements. The study results suggest that as a non-invasive imaging technique with high availability and low cost, ultrasound can provide quantitative assessment to establish the evidence-based medicine in clinical osteopathic patient care.
The first study report has been reviewed by JOM. The authors are revising the manuscript for publication based on all comments and suggestions from the reviewers/editors. Investigators are preparing more manuscripts for reporting the study results.