Osteopathy is an odd alternative therapy. In many parts of the world it is popular; the profession differs dramatically from country to country; and there is not a single condition for which we could say that osteopathy out-performs other options. No wonder then that osteopaths would be more than happy to find a new area where they could practice their skills.
Perhaps surgical care is such an area?
The aim of this systematic review was to present an overview of published research articles within the subject field of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in surgical care. The authors evaluated peer-reviewed research articles published in osteopathic journals during the period 1990 to 2017. In total, 10 articles were identified.
Previous research has been conducted within the areas of abdominal, thoracic, gynecological, and/or orthopedic surgery. The studies included outcomes such as pain, analgesia consumption, length of hospital stay, and range of motion. Heterogeneity was identified in usage of osteopathic techniques, treatment duration, and occurrence, as well as in the osteopath’s experience.
The authors concluded that despite the small number of research articles within this field, both positive effects as well as the absence of such effects were identified. Overall, there was a heterogeneity concerning surgical contexts, diagnoses, signs and symptoms, as well as surgical phases in current interprofessional osteopathic publications. In this era of multimodal surgical care, the authors concluded, there is an urgent need to evaluate OMT in this context of care and with a proper research approach.
This is an odd conclusion, if there ever was one!
The facts are fairly straight forward:
- Osteopaths would like to expand into the area of surgical care [mainly, I suspect, because it would be good for business]
- There is no plausible reason why OMT should be beneficial in this setting.
- Osteopaths are not well-trained for looking after surgical patients.
- Physiotherapists, however, are and therefore there is no need for osteopaths on surgical wards.
- The evidence is extremely scarce.
- The available trials are of poor quality.
- Their results are contradictory.
- Therefore there is no reliable evidence to show that OMT is effective.
The correct conclusion of this review should thus be as follows:
THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE FAILS TO SHOW EFFECTIVENESS OF OMT. THEREFORE THIS APPROACH CANNOT BE RECOMMENDED.
End of story.
One Response to Osteopathy in surgical care? Surprise, surprise: no good evidence
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I am still bemused as to why anyone would want to study such an anachronistic concept as ‘osteopathy’ – invented by a magnetic healer who could not get on in medicine (at a time when no qualifications were really necessary, and unlike his father).
Some good news:
The new proposed Medical School for Derry/Ulster University will be a four year course, post-graduates only, but any 2.1 degree will do. At Newcastle which does this, their best new doctor had a first degree in dance!
Yes, a degree will be required, and critical thinking expected, but any osteopaths who are serious about wanting to assist patients with ailments should think about Ulster. Or otherwise remain as quacks.