Investigating the Efficacy of OMT to Recover Olfactory Perception After COVID-19

Investigating the Efficacy of OMT to Recover Olfactory Perception after COVID-19 is a faculty-led research project at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine supported by a grant from the American Osteopathic Association. The study focuses on a persistent and often debilitating symptom of COVID-19: loss of smell (anosmia). While olfactory dysfunction has resolved for many people after acute infection, a significant number continue to experience reduced or absent smell, which can meaningfully impair daily life, nutrition, safety and mental health. Recognizing the broad impact of olfactory loss—from diminished enjoyment of foods and beverages to increased environmental risks such as an inability to detect smoke or spoiled food—the research team will explore whether osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) can facilitate recovery of olfactory perception in affected patients.

The project aims to bring osteopathic care into the evidence base for treating long-term consequences of COVID-19 by systematically evaluating OMT as a potential therapeutic approach. Emphasizing the body’s capacity to heal, the study presents an opportunity better understand how OMT might support recovery processes. Loss of smell is more than a minor inconvenience: it is associated with adverse mental health outcomes and loss of quality of life. Through this research, the investigators intend to assess whether targeted OMT interventions can restore sensory function and thereby improve patients’ daily functioning and well-being.

The grant from the American Osteopathic Association supports research that advances osteopathic medicine and contributes to evidence-based clinical care. Burrell College frames the project as part of its broader commitment to research, clinical education, and enhancing patient-centered treatment options. By situating the study within the osteopathic tradition of whole-person care, the investigators will evaluate whether manual techniques employed in OMT influence physiological or structural factors related to olfactory perception post-COVID-19. Although specific study methods, sample size, and timelines are not detailed in the announcement, the project represents an important step toward addressing a persistent post-viral symptom and expanding therapeutic options available to patients experiencing long-term effects of COVID-19.

This initiative aligns with ongoing efforts in medicine to identify practical, nonpharmacologic interventions for post-infectious sequelae. If OMT demonstrates measurable benefit for olfactory recovery, the findings could inform clinical practice, guide further research, and offer patients an additional pathway to regain an important sensory function.