2004 Thesis Osteopathy Vagus

By Sander Kales, D.O.-MRO, M.Sc.

Abstract

The question of this experiment is whether a Cranial Base Release has any influence on distress, heart frequency or bloodpressure. Therefore my base Hypothesis is that a Cranial Base Release has no influence on the heart frequency, the bloodpressure or the amount of distress that a person perceives. My end hypothesis is that the Cranial Base Release has an influence on the heart frequency, the bloodpressure and amount of distress that a person perceives.

In chapter 1. I will start by explaining what stress is and the effect it has on the body. In stress there is a change in homeostasis. The system which controls the homeostasis is the
Autonomic Nervous System. I will then explain how the autonomic nervous system is built up. Finally it will become clear that the relationship between distress and the OAA is through
the Vagus nerve. I will clarify the structure of the N.Vagus and its functions. This will be build up from its origin in the brainstem through to the neck, thorax and abdomen. The tonus of the vagus is a tool which is used to describe the amount of stress somebody is under, I will describe why a checklist and blood pressure monitor have been used to measure the amount of distress/ the vagus tonus.

In chapter 2 the technique which was used will be explained and why this technique is used on the OAA complex to influence the amount of distress.Furthermore the explanation of the methodology which is used: 40 people were divided into two groups through both there dysfunction and their distress score. The group with the distress score higher than 10 and the neck dysfunctions were put in the experimental group. The people with a distress score lower than 10 and no neck dysfunctions were put in the control group. Both groups were during the\ first treatment given the opportunity to climatize and after 5 minutes on the treating table their blood pressure and heart frequency were measured. After that they were treated during 15 minutes with a Cranial Base Release Technique. After this treatment their blood pressure and heart frecquency were again measured. The second treatment was after 2 weeks and followed the same procedure except that people filled in their form after the treatment instead of before as in the first treatment.

Chapter 3 will be a overview of the data and the statistical procedure that was used to evaluate the experiment.In chapter 4 it will become clear that there is an significant effect on the amount of distress that a person perceives, through the treatment of the OAA complex after 2 weeks. There is no significant effect on the blood pressure or the heart frequency.

My conclusion is that during the treatment there is a lowering in heart frequency, and this indicates that there is a lowering of the vagal tone. But this effect is lost after the treatment. Therefore this technique is good to get a patient in a lower orthosympatic tone, so that other techniques might attain more effect. On the long term there is an effect on the distress through this technique.

Download here: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B14-reZRb44GM3NrTzRUTVAzdFE