Dynamics of Quality of Life and Psychoemotional Status During Osteopathic Treatment of Somatic Dysfunctions: A Multicenter Statistical Study

Introduction. Chronic somatic dysfunctions are accompanied by persistent decline in quality of life (QoL) and psychoemotional disturbances that standard pharmacotherapy fails to adequately correct. Osteopathic medicine, by affecting the structural, visceral, and neurovegetative levels of regulation, has theoretical prerequisites for comprehensive restoration of these impairments. Objective. Quantitative assessment of the dynamics of quality of life and psychoemotional status in patients with somatic dysfunctions undergoing a course of osteopathic treatment compared with standard therapy. Materials and Methods. A retrospective multicohort analysis of data from 27 clinical observations (total number of participants exceeded 400) was conducted. The analysis was carried out at the Department of Osteopathy and Restorative Medicine of Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University during 2020-2024. In each cohort, a main group (MG), undergoing a course of osteopathic treatment (3-6 sessions over 4-8 weeks), and a comparable control group (CG), undergoing standard pharmacological or physiotherapeutic treatment, were identified. Validated instruments were used: the SF-36 questionnaire (physical and mental QoL components), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Beck Depression Inventory, the Spielberger-Khanin State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the SAN (Well-being, Activity, Mood) self-assessment technique, and the Kerdo Vegetative Index. Statistical analysis included nonparametric Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests (α = 0.05). Results. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) improvements in both SF-36 QoL components, reductions in anxiety and depression levels on the HADS and Beck Inventory, normalization of state anxiety, improvement in SAN scores, and a shift of autonomic tone toward equilibrium on the Kerdo Index were recorded in all 27 main groups. No comparable dynamics in psychoemotional parameters were observed in the standard therapy groups. Conclusion. Osteopathic treatment of somatic dysfunctions provides comprehensive improvement in patients' quality of life and psychoemotional status that exceeds the outcomes of standard treatment. The effect is primarily mediated through normalization of neurovegetative regulation and resolution of somatic dysfunctions.