Use of osteopathic manipulative treatment in management of intractable singultus and associated symptoms

Background & objective: A 23-year-old female, with ongoing hiccups for five years, known as intractable singultus, was managed with osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) to decrease her hiccup bouts and decrease the following associated symptoms: mid-thoracic back pain, nausea, vomiting, reflux, eructation, and abdominal pain. Unlike other documented OMT-managed singultus cases, this patient had no known chronic medical conditions, a limited past medical history, and the longest documented case of singultus to be treated with OMT. Methods: The patient was evaluated at six visits, four including OMT. Areas of somatic dysfunction were treated with myofascial release, muscle energy technique, counterstrain, and high velocity low amplitude. Objective measures include patient-recorded singultus bouts before and after treatment. Results: Prior to OMT, the patient averaged approximately 60 hiccups per day with a recorded maximum of 97 hiccups. After the first OMT session, the average number of daily hiccups was reduced nearly 50% (similar to 30 hiccups per day), and the maximum was reduced by approximately 39% (59 hiccups per day). Additionally, with the exception of mid-thoracic back pain, there was a reduction in associated symptoms of eructation, reflux, abdominal pain, nausea (resolved), and emesis (resolved), which improved the patient's quality of life. Conclusions: There is little literature surrounding the applications of OMT in the management of chronic and intractable singultus. Thus, this case serves as a foundation for future publications. Based on this case, the authors propose that OMT appears to be a safe, noninvasive management option for patients with singultus, relieve associated symptoms, and potentially decrease singultus-related complications.