Objective: The objective of this review is to investigate the short- and long-term effects of osteopathic manipulative techniques (OMT) on cardiovascular function and its regulators in the nervous and endocrine systems compared to passive and active controls.

Introduction: A variety of pharmacological and lifestyle-based treatments are used to prevent or treat vascular diseases, yet vascular disease underpins the top 2 causes of death worldwide. There is a need for more preventative and therapeutic interventions in the management and prevention of vascular disease that are compatible with existing interventions. OMT has shown promise as a non-invasive approach to improve cardiovascular function, but it is currently utilized mostly for alleviating musculoskeletal symptoms. A comprehensive summary of the evidence for the effectiveness of OMT effects on cardiovascular function will assist clinicians and guide future research directions.

Inclusion criteria: This review will consider randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, and crossover studies. Participants must have received OMT intervention. Comparators will include passive or active controls, including controls for body position, touch, and other potential interventions for vascular disease. Cardiovascular, nervous-system, or endocrine-system outcome variables must be measured at least 1 time after treatment. Adverse events will also be considered.

Methods: Searches will be conducted in the following databases: MEDLINE (PubMed), the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, Embase, Scopus, ProQuest One Academic, MedNar, the International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, and CINAHL (EBSCO). Studies available in English, without date restrictions, will be considered for inclusion. Relevant studies will be selected by 2 independent reviewers, critically appraised, and extracted using a tool customized for the details of the study. If meta-analysis is possible, evidence will be summarized using standard techniques with subgroup analyses providing more insight into particular OMT techniques, timeframe of the treatment, and duration of effects, among others. Certainty of findings will be presented using GRADE.