Manual therapies in cystic fibrosis care: a scoping review

Abstract

Objectives: To review the use of manual therapies (MT) for pain, respiratory muscle strength and pulmonary function in cystic fibrosis (CF) care. Methods: A search with a systematic approach was conducted by two independent reviewers, using the databases Medline, PubMed, Scopus and Cinahl from their respective inception dates to March 2021. Results: A total of 199 publications were initially screened by title and abstract, after which 190 were excluded. Following a full-text review of the remaining articles, six studies with a total of 234 participants were included. Decreased pain levels following MT were observed in two studies and, in three studies, patient reports on improvement in ease of breathing and peak airflow were presented. No significant effects on spirometry measures were observed and none of the included studies investigated respiratory muscle strength. Conclusion: Current research on MT in CF care indicates positive trends based on subjective measures. However, research in this context is sparse and disparate in terms of both interventions and methodology. Further investigations including MT as part of multimodal interventions are therefore suggested before any specific recommendations for clinical implementation of MT in CF can be provided.