Abstract

Restoration of blood flow is critical to a blocked coronary blood vessel. With respect to the heart, two main procedures, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) revascularize the area to prevent future blockages. Post-procedurally, bed rest iatrogenically produces non-life-threatening back pain.^1,2 No exact guideline for the duration of post-procedural bed rest exists but recommendations range from 2 to 24 hours.¹ However, research has shown that bed rest beyond 4 hours significantly increased the presence of post-procedural back pain.^1,2 Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is the term ascribed to a number of categories of manual techniques used by osteopathic physicians to treat somatic dysfunctions, to complement conventional management in patient care. In this case report, we discuss a patient with post-procedural upper thoracic pain that resolves with OMT, demonstrating that OMT may play a useful post-PCI role in the care of patients who undergo stent procedures.