Michael L. Kuchera, DO

The Director of OMM Research, Professor Michael L. Kuchera, DO, was recruited to PCOM in 2002 after over two decades of teaching, research, and clinical service. Dr. Kuchera graduated from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM) where he later served as chairperson of OMM, OMM Residency Director, Vice President for International Osteopathic Research & Education, and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean.

Currently Dr. Kuchera directs the OMM Research and Human Performance & Biomechanics Laboratory, mentoring PCOM physicians-in-training, residents, and masters students. He is also the Clinical Director of the Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging.

Dr. Kuchera has been funded by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) studying the effects of progressive maximal effort exercise for multiple sclerosis subjects and by the Philadelphia Health Care Foundation to investigate biomechanical approaches, including Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT), in improving function and the quality of life in people with Parkinson's Disease. He is also comparing conservative care with and without OMT to tissue healing rates (in conditions ranging from sprained ankles to carpal tunnel syndrome) and repeating these studies in the presence of various potential healing energy sources including low-intensity laser or pulsed electromagnetic signal therapies. He served as lead principal investigator in a five-state collaborative project with Veteran's Administration Medical Centers and works collaboratively with investigators at several other institutions.

In 2002, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Council of Research honored Dr. Kuchera with their highest honor for a career of research and research mentorship, the Gutenshohn-Denslow Award. His specialty college honored him with their highest award, the A.T. Still Medallion of Honor, in 2006. Most recently, the American Osteopathic Foundation named him the 2008 Beehler Research Mentor of the Year.

Dr. Kuchera has earned both national an international reputations. A past president of the American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO), Dr. Kuchera represents the United States in the International Federation of Manual/Musculoskeletal Medicine (www.fimm-online.com), where he is serves as Secretary General. He has been invited to lecture numerous times in Europe, Japan, and Australia and is a founding member of the AOA's Bureau on International Osteopathic Medical Education & Affairs (BIOMEA). He co-authored the original version of the museum exhibit, The Healer Within, which has toured the country, including the Smithsonian Institute. In addition to co-editing and writing numerous articles and chapters in the Foundations for Osteopathic Medicine text, Dr. Kuchera coauthored Osteopathic Considerations in Systemic Dysfunction with his father as well as two other textbooks.

A long-time student advocate, Dr. Kuchera was unanimously granted life membership to the National Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA), served as the National UAAO faculty sponsor, and is faculty sponsor for both SOMA on the PCOM campus as well as the SeekHealth organization at PCOM.

Email: michaelkuc@pcom.edu


Awards (Selected)


Publications (Selected Examples)

Sub-Editor and Chapter Author:

In Ward RC (ed): Foundations for Osteopathic Medicine (2nd edition). Philadelphia PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2003. (chapters for the 2008 3rd edition are now in process)

Chapter Author:

In Oken BS (ed): Complementary Therapies in Neurology: An Evidence-Base Approach. NY, NY: Parthenon Publishing, 2004.

In Hutson M, Ellis R (eds): Musculoskeletal Medicine. Edinborough: Oxford Press, 2005.

Published Articles & Abstracts (Recent):

Kuchera ML.  Applying osteopathic principles to formulate treatment for patients with chronic pain.  JAOA (eSuppl) 107(6):ES28-ES38, November 2007.

Degenhardt BF, Kuchera ML: A multicase report: efficacy of osteopathic evaluation and manipulative treatment in reducing the morbidity of otitis media in children. JAOA 106(6): 327-334.

Kuchera ML (guest editor): Expanding the evidence-base for manual medicine. American Back Society Newsletter, Summer 2003.

Research Synergy Task Force (including Kuchera ML representing PCOM and FIMM): Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Research: A 21st Century Vision, National OMM Research Synergy White Paper (October 2003).

Braun M, Kuchera ML, Edwards CP, Jones DE, Borden T, Ondrasik N, Krueger MV. Six etiologies of low back pain found in the U.S. Army (abstract), JAOA 107(8):328-329, (Aug 2007).

Kuchera ML, Vardy TC, Yates H, Ripley B, Stouch B, Johnson JC.  Prolonged effects of maximal effort exercise (with Valsalva) and osteopathic manipulative treatment in women with multiple sclerosis (abstract), JAOA 107(8):332-333, (Aug 2007).

Kuchera ML, Dombroski RT, Vardy T, Thomas F, O’Brien S, Yagnik P, Wenzel K, Stoll S, Stouch S, Wallin MT. Immediate and prolonged effects of a 10-week non-fatiguing maximal effort exercise protocol on strength in deconditioned men and women with multiple sclerosis:  A multi-center study (abstract), JAOA 107(8):342, (Aug 2007).

Kuchera ML, Dombroski RT, Vardy T, Thomas F, O’Brien S, Yagnik P, Wenzel K, Stoll S, Stouch S, Wallin MT Immediate and prolonged effects of a 10-week maximal effort exercise (with valsalva) protocol on cognition in men and women with multiple sclerosis: A multi-center study (abstract), JAOA 107(8):341-342, (Aug 2007).

Drames TR, Tratenberg MA, Yoo L, Stewart P, Vardy T, Dombroski RT, Kuchera ML. Development of an objective instrument and protocol to document two- and one-leg balance with and without visual input (abstract), JAOA 107(8):342-343, (Aug 2007).

Cohen VA, Kuchera ML, Stewart PA. Influence of customized proprioceptive foot orthotics in posture, balance and pain (abstract), anticipated August edition of the JAOA (abstract), JAOA 107(8):336-337, (Aug 2007).

Kuchera ML, Jean NT, Schoenfeldt B, Flynn S, Williams L, Vardy T, Dombroski RT.  Developing technology and protocols to measure pressure characteristics used by physicians and students for diagnosis and treatment of cervical somatic dysfunction (abstract), JAOA 107(8):333-334, (Aug 2007).

Jean NT, Kuchera ML, Williams L, Schoenfeldt B, Vardy T, Dombroski RT. Measuring pressures used by physicians and students for cervical diagnosis of segmental somatic dysfunction using the Iso-TOUCH® Palpation Monitor System (abstract), JAOA 107(8):327-328, (Aug 2007).

Degenhardt BF, Kuchera ML.  Osteopathic evaluation and manipulative treatment in reducing the morbidity of otitis media: A Pilot Study.  JAOA 106(6): 327-334.

Kuchera ML.  High tech for high touch: A preliminary report.  The Cranial Letter 59(1):7-9, Feb 2006.

Kuchera ML.  Osteopathic manipulative medicine considerations in chronic pain.  JAOA (Suppl 4)105(9):S29-S36, September 2005.

Kuchera ML (guest editor), Expanding the evidence-base for manual medicine.  American Back Society Newsletter, p. 1, Summer 2003.

Yates HA, Vardy TC, Kuchera ML, Ripley BD, Johnson JC, “Effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment and concentric and eccentric maximal-effort exercise on women with multiple sclerosis: A pilot study”, JAOA (Brief Report) 102(5):267-275, May 2002.

Yates HA, Vardy TC, Kuchera ML, Ripley BD, Johnson JC, “Prolonged effects of maximal effort exercise and osteopathic manipulative treatment on women with multiple sclerosis: a pilot study”, Journal of Osteopathic Medicine (Australia) 5(1); 42-43; April 2002.

Kuchera ML, “Global Alliances: Advancing research and the evidence base”, JAOA 102(1):4-7, January 2002.

Degenhardt BF, Kuchera ML.  Update on osteopathic medical concepts and the lymphatic system, JAOA 96(2):97-100.

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