Osteopathy Non-manipulative in Patients With Crohn's Disease.

All of the participants were recruited, in a non-probabilistic way, from the Valencian Association of Enfermos de Crohn y Colitis Ulcerosa (ACCU) The participants were allocated to two different groups depending on their possibility of participation in the therapeutic sessions. The group that received the therapy was called experimental group (EG) and the group, who did not, control group (CG). The participants were allocated independently of their disease status (outbreak or remission).

An experimental study carried out during a period of four weeks in order to explore the effect of the specific treatment on the following outcomes: global quality of life, quality of life in CD and pain.

The participants, in the EG were treated in three sessions, that lasted 45 minutes, during the study duration (1 session each 9-10 days). The physiotherapist who applied the treatment had an extensive experience in manual therapy.

Both groups come to laboratory two times for the assessment, one at the beginning of the study and the other one at the end. In each session several questionnaires were administered by a physiotherapist who was blinded to the group assignment.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients diagnosed with active CD of at least one year of evolution, aged between 18 and 65, with a presence of abdominal pain, receiving conservative or surgical treatment (after 6 months after surgery and absence of diverting ileostomy) were included. Once they expressed their interest in taking part of the study, potential participants underwent an examination by a specialist of the association to confirm the diagnosis of CD.

Exclusion criteria

• Conversely, patients with non-specific inflammatory bowel, abdominal tenderness, infection, ischaemia, physical damage, or specific immunologic sensitivity or pregnancy be excluded of this study were discarded for the study.