Friedman Arielle, Sheth Reena, Wallace-Ross Jill
Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, USA.
Foundational Sciences, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, USA.
Cureus. 2025 May 5;17(5):e83524. doi: 10.7759/cureus.83524. eCollection 2025 May.
Chronic musculoskeletal pain, particularly chronic low back pain (CLBP), is a prevalent issue among rural populations, where limited access to healthcare exacerbates the condition and significantly impacts various aspects of daily life. The effects of chronic pain and healthcare barriers extend beyond physical health, influencing mental well-being, physical activity, and overall functionality as rural populations age. This complex healthcare challenge requires further investigation to identify effective, culturally relevant, and cost-efficient solutions. Proposed approaches include osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), telehealth, and alternative education models designed to incentivize healthcare professionals to serve these communities while respecting their cultural values and societal needs. Medical missions and volunteer healthcare efforts are already making strides in alleviating the impact of CLBP, which can lead to mental health decline, reduced mobility, and functional impairments. This systematic literature review synthesizes recent research on the effectiveness of OMT in managing chronic musculoskeletal pain, with a particular focus on low back pain (LBP) in underserved and rural populations. It examines how biopsychosocial factors and healthcare access influence treatment outcomes, while also proposing strategies for improving healthcare access through innovative education models and the use of technology. The review also considers the importance of community engagement and cultural sensitivity in these approaches. By analyzing research articles published between 2013 and 2023 from Google Scholar and PubMed, along with additional articles identified through a manual search of the journal website, this review evaluates 26 relevant studies on the therapeutic benefits of OMT for CLBP. It aims to highlight the potential of OMT as an effective intervention for rural populations and to better understand the broader implications of chronic musculoskeletal pain on these communities.
慢性肌肉骨骼疼痛，尤其是慢性下腰痛（CLBP），是农村人口中普遍存在的问题，在这些地区，医疗服务获取有限使病情恶化，并对日常生活的各个方面产生重大影响。随着农村人口老龄化，慢性疼痛和医疗障碍的影响不仅限于身体健康，还会影响心理健康、身体活动和整体功能。这一复杂的医疗挑战需要进一步研究，以确定有效、符合文化背景且具有成本效益的解决方案。提议的方法包括整骨手法治疗（OMT）、远程医疗以及旨在激励医疗专业人员在尊重这些社区文化价值观和社会需求的同时为其服务的替代教育模式。医疗传教和志愿医疗工作在减轻CLBP的影响方面已经取得了进展，CLBP可能导致心理健康下降、行动能力降低和功能障碍。本系统文献综述综合了近期关于OMT治疗慢性肌肉骨骼疼痛有效性的研究，特别关注了服务不足和农村地区的下腰痛（LBP）。它研究了生物心理社会因素和医疗服务获取如何影响治疗结果，同时还提出了通过创新教育模式和技术应用来改善医疗服务获取的策略。该综述还考虑了这些方法中社区参与和文化敏感性的重要性。通过分析2013年至2023年期间从谷歌学术和PubMed上发表的研究文章，以及通过手动搜索期刊网站确定的其他文章，本综述评估了26项关于OMT治疗CLBP的治疗益处的相关研究。其目的是突出OMT作为农村人口有效干预措施的潜力，并更好地理解慢性肌肉骨骼疼痛对这些社区的更广泛影响。
