2026/04/12 by Ana Christina Certain Curi, Ana Paula Antunes Ferreira, Leandro Alberto Calazans Nogueira +2 · 1 voice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Health Professions · Medicine · #Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 #Myofascial pain diagnosis and treatment #Temporomandibular Joint Disorders
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.ijosm.2026.100830
openalex publication_date 2026/04/12 · openalex created_date 2026/04/13 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Background This study assessed whether osteopathic care (OC) combined with physical therapy (PT) is more effective than PT alone in reducing fatigue and functional limitations in adults with long COVID. Methods Two-arm, assessor-blinded, pragmatic randomized controlled trial. The PT group received standard care including motor and respiratory exercises for cardiorespiratory and skeletal muscle functions. The OC+PT group received PT plus OC. The PT group attending up to 2 sessions per week and the OC+PT group receiving up to 7 OC sessions. Primary outcomes were fatigue and functional limitations, measured at 2 months using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and the Post-COVID Functional State (PCFS) scale. Secondary outcomes included fatigue and functional limitations at 3 months and perceived change post-treatment using the Perceived Change Scale (PCS-patient). Results Of the 104 participants planned, 73 were recruited and 28 (26.9%) were randomized into OC+PT (n=14) or PT alone (n=14). The OC+PT group showed lower FSS scores at 2 months (MD [95%CI]) (−10.41 [−14.47; −6.35]) and 3 months (−12.25 [−16.52; −7.98]). The PCFS score was lower for the OC+PT group at 2 months (−0.70 [−1.11; −0.29]) but not at 3 months (−0.26 [−0.69; 0.16]). Perceived improvement was similar between groups at both 2 months (5.28 [−0.84; 11.40]) and 3 months (3.10 [−3.10; 9.30]). Conclusions This exploratory trial suggests potential benefits of combining OC with PT over PT alone in reducing fatigue and improving functional status in long COVID patients over 2 months. Larger, fully-powered studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results.