BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech’s Pamela VandeVord and Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Gunnar Brolinson recently recieved a $2.17 million grant from the National Institute of Health.
The grant will allow the two to investigate how a technique called cranial osteopathic manual manipulation could change how we treat traumatic brain injury symptoms. Osteopathic manual manipulation means applying a little pressure to the head.
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“Cranial osteopathic manipulation medicine has the potential to have a positive impact on traumatic brain injury patients for which headaches are the most common symptom,” said VandeVord, the N. Waldo Harrison Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics. “Importantly, this is a noninvasive and non-pharmacological approach, which is a priority for integrative health practices.”
While similar osteopathic manipulative medicine commonly is used to improve other medical conditions and injuries, there is limited data on the brain’s response to this approach and few non-pharmacological treatments available, the researchers said.
Experts in brain imaging and fluid flow analysis are part of the research team. The collaboration includes:
- Jennifer Munson, director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC’s Cancer Research Center, professor of biomedical engineering, and primary investigator of the Munson Lab
- Maosen Wang, a research assistant professor at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
“Traumatic brain injury is a huge problem, not just in this country, but worldwide,” said Brolinson, vice president for research at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. “And there is no real treatment for it. There is no medication for concussion, just rest and gradual resumption of activity. A novel, noninvasive, gentle osteopathic manipulative medicine technique is potentially revolutionary.”
The five-year grant was received through the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
The primary goal is to develop a framework for which the manipulation can be used by clinicians to alleviate neurological symptoms after brain injury.
