Determine the Effect of the Fourth Ventricle Compression Technique on Physiological Variables

Determine the Effect of the Fourth Ventricle Compression Technique on Heart Rate, Respiratory Rate, Blood Pressure, Thermal Variation and Skin Conductivity in Healthy Young Adults: a Randomized Clinical Study

This study aims to analyze the influence of the fourth ventricle compression technique in heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, conductivity and thermal variability of the skin in healthy young adults.

The fourth ventricle compression technique (CV-4) is one of the most important techniques in the treatment of cranial osteopathy.

During the present study, the effects of CV-4 technique will be analyzed in the following variables: heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, conductivity and thermal variation of the skin.

According to the literature, CV-4 technique will cause changes in all of the studied variables, except the respiratory rate, through the activation of the brain stem, namely the parasympathetic nerve centers.

Regarding the respiratory rate, it is justified by the fourth ventricle and the respiratory centers proximity.

Concerning heart rate and respiratory rate, during the CV-4 technique the literature describes a decrease in the values of this variables. However, other studies refer that the technique does not produce relevant effects in the heart and respiratory rates variation, probably because there was no stipulated time to finish the technique, ending subjectively compared to previous ones.

When it comes to blood pressure, a decrease in systolic blood pressure values is noticed by some authors.

In which concerns the variation in body temperature, according to the literature, there were no significant results obtained when performing CV-4.

During the performed literature analysis,there were not found any studies concerning the influences of the CV-4 technique in the thermal conductivity variable.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy participants aged between 18 and 33 years.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Cognitive deficits that can possibly compromise the understanding of the study instructions;
• Any type of medication taken that may have influences at the variables under study in the previous 7 days;
• Cranio-cervical injuries, surgery to the skull and /or spine in the last 12 months;
• Chronic cardiorespiratory, renal, systemic, neurological, musculoskeletal, oncological and psychiatric pathologies;
• Headaches, migraines, dizziness and / or nausea while performing the techniques;
• Caffeine and / or alcohol intake in the 6 hours prior to the data collection;
• Tobacco consumption in the 30 minutes prior to the data collection;
• Practice of intense physical exercise in the 90 minutes prior to the data collection;
• Pregnant women or menstruating;
• Participants who were submitted to manual therapy treatments during the past month;
• Osteopathy students of 3rd year or higher degree, in order to prevent the participant from recognizing which group they belong to.