Pericardial Adhesion and Chronic Non-Specific Neck Pain following Thoracentesis: An Osteopathic Approach

Area of Science:

• Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Pain Management

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the primary cause of global mortality.
• Non-fatal cardiovascular events lead to increasing morbidity and disability.
• Chronic pain, including non-specific neck pain (NNP), can persist years after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

Observation:

• A patient presented with non-specific neck pain (NNP) five years post-coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).
• The NNP was unresponsive to conventional treatments.
• An osteopathic manipulative technique targeting the pericardial area was employed.

Findings:

• The osteopathic technique applied to the pericardial area resulted in the complete resolution of the patient's non-specific neck pain (NNP).
• This represents the first documented case of NNP resolution using manual osteopathic treatment of the pericardial area following CABG.

Implications:

• This case suggests a potential link between the pericardium and chronic neck pain after cardiac surgery.
• Osteopathic manipulative treatment may offer a novel therapeutic option for managing persistent post-CABG pain.
• Further research is warranted to explore the efficacy and mechanisms of osteopathic interventions for post-cardiac surgery pain syndromes.