Effect of Osteopathic Manual Techniques on the Diaphragm Muscle and Its Repercussions

"The protocol consists of three techniques. The two first techniques will be applied for 10 respiratory cycles.~Muscle Stretching Technique:~the researcher will perform a cephalic traction on the inferior costal border with the ulnar border during the inspiratory phase.~Phrenic-center inhibition technique:~the researcher, with a hand on the sternum to caudal and other hand on the umbilical region to cranial, will approach his hands on the horizontal plane, when the volunteer exales.~Functional diaphragm technique:~the researcher will perform a vertical pressure on the diaphragm for 5 minutes and will search for the facilitated parameters and maintain them until the release of all the periarticular elements."

In the sham group a manual contact without any therapeutic intention will be performed, in a distant region of the diaphragm (for example on the trapezius muscle). This contact will be maintained during the same amount of time as for the treatment group.