Student Presenter(s): Anoushka Guha, Taylor Castro, Abeer Naeem
Faculty Mentor: Sheldon Yao
School/College: Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury

Accuracy of osteopathic diagnosis is a fundamental skill necessary for proper evaluation and treatment with osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). Studies have shown poor interexaminer reliability in diagnosis in the lumbar spine. One study showed that interexaminer reliability could be improved over time with training and improved assessment of muscle tone and tissue changes. The MyotonPRO myotonometer has been shown to accurately assess muscle tension. This study examined the rate of correlation of somatic dysfunction diagnosis by NMM/OMM specialist and tissue texture changes measured as changes in muscle stiffness and tone overlying the area. Less than half of the somatic dysfunctions diagnoses made by the physician aligned with the objective readings of stiffness and tone. This displays the need for a way to cross-check readings and have a non-biased form of objective measurement during OMT treatments. Limitations include small sample size and varying physician diagnostic styles. Further research is required to determine the benefits of utilizing the MyotonPro to assist in confirming somatic dysfunction diagnosis.