John M. McPartland, Andrea Giuffrida, Jeremy King, Evelyn Skinner, John Scotter, and Richard E. Musty
J Am Osteopath Assoc 2005 105: 283-291.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
The authors investigate whether osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT)
generated cannabimimetic effects in a dual-blind, randomized controlled trial
(N=31) that measured changes in subjects' scores on the 67-item
neuropsychological Drug Reaction Scale (DRS) and changes in serum levels of
anandamide, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, and oleylethanolamide. In subjects
receiving OMT, posttreatment DRS scores increased significantly for
cannabimimetic descriptors. Mean posttreatment anandamide levels (8.01
pmol/mL) increased 168% over pretreatment levels (2.99 pmol/mL), mean
oleylethanolamide levels decreased 27%, and no changes occurred in
2-arachidonoylglycerol levels in the group receiving OMT. The authors propose
that healing modalities popularly associated with changes in the endorphin
system, such as OMT, may actually be mediated by the endocannabinoid system.
The authors also make a case for a change in terminology for researchers
investigating the clinical effectiveness of OMT, stating that such an
investigation is better described as "dual blind" (rather than the
traditional "double blind") to more accurately reflect the
inability of osteopathic medical researchers and clinical investigators to
blind practitioners and caregivers working in this treatment modality.
