Comparing the Relapse Rate Between MAT-only treatment and MAT with OMT Regimen in Patients with Musculoskeletal Pain

This research project examines the potential value of adding osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for patients with musculoskeletal pain and opioid dependence. Within the broader context of the ongoing opioid crisis that began in 1991, the project underscores the dramatic increase in opioid-related overdoses in the United States, including nearly 47,000 deaths in 2018. The investigators note that the most commonly reported reason for misuse of prescription pain relievers is to relieve physical pain, a trend that has contributed to growing numbers of patients seeking MAT.

Osteopathic manipulative treatment has existing evidence demonstrating efficacy in relieving both chronic and acute pain. Despite this, the authors identify a gap in the literature: no current studies have investigated OMT as an adjunct to MAT for individuals who have musculoskeletal pain in the setting of opioid dependence. The study described in this poster abstract aims to compare relapse rates between patients receiving MAT alone and those receiving MAT combined with an OMT regimen, focusing specifically on a population experiencing musculoskeletal pain. By situating the research at the intersection of addiction medicine, pain management, and osteopathic manipulation, the project seeks to explore whether an integrated approach that pairs pharmacologic treatment for opioid dependence with manual therapy for pain could influence relapse outcomes.

The abstract emphasizes the public health urgency of addressing opioid misuse and the importance of studying complementary therapies that target pain, a primary driver of prescription opioid misuse. The research also crosses multiple disciplinary boundaries, being relevant to alternative and complementary medicine, musculoskeletal system studies, osteopathic medicine, pathological conditions and symptoms, and substance abuse and addiction. With a DOI assigned for the poster abstract, the work is documented within the Rowan Digital Works repository, reflecting its contribution to institutional scholarship and its availability to the broader research community. The project does not report funding details or quantitative results in the abstract; rather, it highlights rationale, background, and the identified research gap motivating a comparative investigation of relapse rates under two treatment paradigms. As a concise poster abstract, the study positions itself to inform clinicians and researchers interested in multimodal treatment strategies for patients with coexisting musculoskeletal pain and opioid dependence, suggesting that further empirical study could clarify whether adjunctive OMT offers a measurable benefit in reducing relapse following MAT.