Effectiveness of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Versus Craniosacral Therapy in Enhancing Quality of Life, Functional Mobility, and Motor Function in Parkinson’s Disease Patients

Abstract

Background: Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with motor impairment, reduced functional mobility, and diminished quality of life. Manual therapies such as osteopathic manipulative treatment and craniosacral therapy have been proposed as adjunctive approaches in Parkinson’s disease rehabilitation, but comparative evidence remains limited. Objective: To compare the effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment and craniosacral therapy on quality of life, functional mobility, and motor function in patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. Methods: This single-blind randomized controlled trial enrolled 54 adults with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, Hoehn and Yahr stages II–III. Participants were allocated equally to osteopathic manipulative treatment, craniosacral therapy, or standard-care control groups. Manual therapy interventions were delivered twice weekly for 10 weeks. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and post-intervention using the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39, Timed Up and Go test, and Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale Part III. Results: Both manual therapy groups showed greater numerical improvement than control. Craniosacral therapy showed larger mean improvement in PDQ-39 total score (-12.8) and emotional well-being (-4.9), while osteopathic manipulative treatment showed larger mean improvement in Timed Up and Go (-2.7 seconds) and UPDRS Part III (-7.3). Control-group changes were minimal across outcomes. Conclusion: Osteopathic manipulative treatment and craniosacral therapy may provide adjunctive benefits in Parkinson’s disease rehabilitation, with domain-specific response patterns. Larger trials with complete inferential reporting and long-term follow-up are required.