Effectiveness of the ostheopatic treatment in intestinal

Introduction: the intestinal constipation is considered a functional bowel disease, characterized by a gastrointestinal motility disorder and difficult or reduced evacuation. The treatment and prevention must be individualized, taking into consideration the behavioral orientation, besides a possible pharmacological intervention or complementary therapies such as osteopathy. Objective: review the literature on the effects of osteopathic treatment in intestinal constipation. Methodology: the research on literature was done using database of Portal CAPES, Bireme, Cochrane Library, Lilacs, Medline, PubMed and Scielo. The 112 studies used in this research followed these criteria of inclusion: publications from 1989 to 2017, in Portuguese, English and Spanish; articles presented in full, with no restrictions about the type of study or sample. Results: the osteopathic approach applied in the constipation treatment aims at a better functioning of the intestine, influencing the smooth muscle tonus and visceral mobility, thus improving the gastrointestinal function and indirectly normalizing the autosomal nervous supply for the viscera. A three-dimensional intracellular matrix forms the fascia in contiguity, which is abundant in mechanoreceptors, covering and protecting the tissues and organs in the body. Therefore, the results obtained after performing the osteopathic techniques are possibly understood by the mechanical, autonomic and neuro- muscular proprieties. Conclusion: osteopathy is a complementary treatment for intestinal constipation, improving the symptoms, reducing the severity of the condition, decreasing the time of colon transit and increasing the intestinal motility as well as the patients quality of life.