Research & Publications

NYIT OMC Research

NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine: Osteopathic Medicine Center (OMC) Research

Advancing the Science of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Through Research, Innovation, and Clinical Excellence

40+ Active & Completed Research Projects 40+ Peer-Reviewed Publications 150+ Student Research Presentations

Advancing Evidence-Based Osteopathic Medicine Through Clinical Research, Innovation, Education, and Multidisciplinary Collaboration. National and International research focused presentations by OMM faculty.

Department Research Strengths

The NYITCOM Osteopathic Medicine Center maintains an active multidisciplinary research program focused on expanding the evidence base for osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). Faculty collaborate across clinical medicine, neuroscience, neuropsychology, exercise physiology, engineering, biomechanics, artificial intelligence, and computational modeling to study both clinical outcomes and physiologic mechanisms of osteopathic care.

Research Focus Areas

Neurologic & Neurodegenerative: Parkinson’s disease, post-concussion syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS), sleep quality, fMRI and glymphatic pathway research, carpal tunnel syndrome.
Pain & Musculoskeletal: Chronic low back pain, neck pain, headache, dysmenorrhea, objective muscle stiffness and tissue biomarker research.
Autonomic, Cardiovascular & Education: Heart rate variability, arrhythmia research, physiologic response to OMT. Virtual reality in OMM education, palpatory skill assessment, sensor-based biomechanics research.
Computational & AI: Computational modeling of osteopathic forces, pressure sensor studies, AI-assisted analysis of palpatory and clinical data.

Faculty Expertise

OMM/NMM Family Medicine Neurology & Movement Disorders PM&R Exercise Physiology Clinical Neuropsychology Acupuncture AI & Computational Modeling Biomechanics

Faculty Research Team

Sheldon C. Yao, DO, FAAO – Professor, OMM Dept Chair, Interim OMC director, Board Certified FM/OMT, NMM/OMM

Reem Abu-Sbaih, DO – Professor, Board Certified NMM/OMM

Priya Bhushan, DO – Assistant Professor, Board Certified NMM/OMM

Joanne Donoghue, PhD – Professor; Clinical Research Director (AHCC), Exercise Physiologist

Theodore Flaum, DO, FACOFP – Professor, Board Certified FM/OMT

Gabriel Gelves, DO – Associate Professor; Medical Director (MRI), Board Certified Radiology

Patricia Kooyman, DO – Associate Professor, Board Certified NMM/OMM

Adena Leder, DO – Associate Professor; Parkinson’s Center Director, Board Certified Neurology, Movement Disorders

To Shan Li, DO – Professor, Board Certified FM, NMM/OMM, Acupuncture

Philip Noto, DO, FAAPMR – Assistant Professor, Board Certified PM&R

Amber Sousa, PhD – Assistant Professor, Clinical Neuropsychologist

Michael Terzella, DO – Professor; OMM Vice-Chair, Board Certified FP/OMT, NMM/OMM

Milan Toma, PhD – Associate Professor, Computer Engineering, Computational Modeling

Research is a critical part of the mission of the Osteopathic Medicine Center. Cutting edge research has never been more important to advance osteopathic medicine.

Please use this site as a repository of current and past research projects being conducted and NYITCOM, specifically related to osteopathic manipulative medicine and osteopathic principles. There is vast research being conducted at NYITCOM across many different important topics that can be further investigated on the NYITCOM website.

Parkinson's Disease and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Li, Raymond, Jose, Ann, Poon, Jessica, Zou, Cindy, Istafanos, Maria and Yao, Sheldon C.. "Efficacy of osteopathic manipulative treatment in patients with Parkinson’s disease: a narrative review" Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, vol. , no. , 2021. https://doi.org/10.1515/jom-2021-0081
Li TS, Mancini J, Integrative Approach for Parkinson's disease, Alternative and Complementary Therapies, February 2017: Vol 23, No. 1: 34
Donoghue JD, de Vries K, Apoznanski T, Mancini J, Yao SC. “Osteopathic Manipulation as a Complementary Approach to Parkinson’s Disease: A Controlled Pilot Study” DOI: 10.3233/NRE-161400 Published online: October 31, 2016, NeuroRehabilitation, vol. Preprint, no. Preprint, pp. 1-7, 2016
Yao SC, Hart A, Terzella MJ. “An Evidence-Based Osteopathic Approach to Parkinson's Disease" Osteopathic Family Physician Volume 5, Issue 3, Pages 96-101, May 2013
Mancini JD and Varkey A. "Integration of Osteopathic Manual Treatments in the Management of Foot Dystonia in Parkinson’s Disease: A Case Series" Int J Neurorehabilitation Eng 2016, 3:6

Neurological Considerations and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment

Halimi M, Leder A, and Mancini J. "Integration of osteopathic manual treatments in management of cervical dystonia with tremor: A case series" Tremor and other hyperkinetic disorders 2016
Osteopathic Considerations in the Management of Migraine in Pregnancy Soshnick S, Mezzone C, Yao SC, Abu-Sbaih R. Osteopathic Family Physician, March/April 2015, p 19–23.
Loh, M. and Kooyman, P. (accepted for publication June 2013). Charcot-Marie-Tooth and Other Inherited Neuropathies. In Domino FJ (Ed.), The 5-Minute Clinical Consult 2015, Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Giordano, J. and Kooyman, P. (accepted for publication January 2013). Horner syndrome. In Domino FJ (Ed.), The 5-Minute Clinical Consult 2014, Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Kooyman, P. "Pediatric Headache Case Study," The Cranial Letter, November 2007, Volume 60, Number 4
Guernsey DT, Leder A, Yao S. Resolution of Concussion Symptoms After Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: A Case Report. J Am Osteopath Assoc 2016;116(3):e13-e17. doi: 10.7556/jaoa.2016.036.

Gastrointestinal Considerations and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Watari J (OMS IV), Danowitz M (OMS IV), Jacobs S (OMS IV), Li, To S, Etiology, Evaluation, and Osteopathic Management of Adult Constipation, Osteopathic Family Physician, Vol.8 No.4, July/August 2016: 24-31
Domalski, R.S., Nimkoff, L., Yao, S.C., Kooyman, P. Application of OMT in a pediatric postoperative ileus case. American Academy of Osteopathy Journal2014; 24(2):24.
Fisher, J.F., Henderson, A.T., Li, T.S., and Bridges, K.G. Changes in Salivary α-amylase After Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, JAOA, Jan 2009; 109:S34

Dermatologic Considerations in Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment

Lal K, Lowe E, Treyger G, Li, T.S., East Meets West and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine: Combining Treatment Modalities for Atopic Dermatitis, Practical Dermatology, September 2016: 26-32, 56

Pediatric Considerations and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment

Apoznanski TE, Abu-Sbaih R, Terzella MJ, Yao S. Resolution of dacryostenosis after osteopathic manipulative treatment. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2015;115Feb(2):110-114. doi:10.7556/jaoa.2015.022

Obstetrics and Gynecological Considerations and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment

Hastings V, McCallister AM, Curtis SA, Valant RJ, Yao S. Efficacy of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment for Management of Postpartum Pain. J Am Osteopath Assoc 2016;116(8):502-509. doi: 10.7556/jaoa.2016.103.

Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Educational Research

Snider KT, Dowling DJ, Seffinger MA, Channell MK, Yao SC, Gustowski SM, Johnson JC,Martin Pryor JM. “Effect of Table Trainer Ratios on the Outcomes of Student Assessments of Cervical Muscle Energy Techniques”. J Am Osteopath Assoc 2015;115(9):556-564.
Vazzana KM, Yao SC, Jung MK, Terzella MJ. “Effect of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) Clinical Exposure on First and Second Year Osteopathic Medical Students’ Outlook on OMT.” J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2014 Jul;114(7):572-80
Meghpara MK, Terzella MJ, Flaum TB, Jung MK, Yao SC. “Usefulness of Video Learning for Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) Techniques in the Educational and Clinical Setting” American Academy of Osteopathy Journal, Volume 23, Number 3, pages 24-30, September 2013

Respiratory Considerations and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment

Celebi, T., J. Muller, and M. Terzella. “Osteopathic Considerations in Pneumonia”. Osteopathic Family Physician, Vol. 13, no. 5, Sept. 2021, pp. 14–20, doi:10.33181/13048.
Yao SC, Hassani J, Gagne M, George G, Gilliar W. “Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment As A Useful Adjunctive Tool For Pneumonia” J. Vis. Exp. (87), e50687, doi:10.3791/50687 (2014)

PUBLICATIONS

OMM Department

Sharing our discoveries with the broader medical community is essential to the advancement of osteopathic medicine. This section showcases the scholarly achievements and published literature authored by NYITCOM researchers, faculty, and students.

Browse our collection of peer-reviewed articles, clinical studies, and reviews to explore how evidence-based osteopathic manipulative treatments are actively shaping patient care across a wide spectrum of medical specialties.

Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Lymphatic Drainage Techniques for Venous Insufficiency and Peripheral Arterial Disease: a review

Authors: Iya Agha, Lyudmyla Susla, Elizabeth Ryder, Gursimran Nanki Udhwani, and Sheldon C. Yao.

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Effects of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment in a 3-Year-Old With Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome

Authors: Vaibhav Duggal, Rachel Radigan, Alexa Finkelstein, and Sheldon Yao.

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