Posts by: Patrick van Dun

The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate and summarize current evidence for diagnosis of common conditions causing low back pain and to propose standardized terminology use … MORE

Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain conditions have a substantial influence on the quality of life. Psychosocial factors such as depression, anxiety and social isolation have been shown to play an important role in the development and management of MSK pain. Therefore, clinical practice guidelines commonly recommend adopting a biopsychosocial (BPS) framework by practitioners managing MSK pain. However, it remains unclear how osteopaths implement a BPS framework in the management of MSK pain. This protocol describes the objective and methods of a systematic review of barriers and facilitators experienced by osteopaths in implementing a BPS framework of care when managing people with MSK pain … ABSTRACT

Profiles of health professions practice can inform pre-professional education, provide evidence to assist with interprofessional practice, and inform policy development. An understanding of the profile of patients seeking osteopathy care is emerging. Current research suggests that musculoskeletal presentations predominate with approximately one-third of patients presenting with co-morbid diseases. There is little data on these presentations in Australian osteopathy practice. This study aimed to describe the patient demographics, clinical presentations, health behaviours and determinants of health, including health literacy, of those attending for care at an Australian student-led osteopathy clinic … MORE

After decades of puzzling over how cells sense touch and pressure, scientists are zooming in on the proteins responsible … MORE

In children, spinal pain is transitory for most, but up to 20% experience recurrent and bothersome complaints. It is generally acknowledged that interventions may be more effective for subgroups of those affected with low back pain. In this secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial, we tested whether five indicators of a potential increased need for treatment might act as effect modifiers for manipulative therapy in the treatment of spinal pain in children. We hypothesized that the most severely affected children would benefit more from manipulative therapy … MORE

International clinical practice guidelines for low back pain (LBP) contain consistent recommendations including universal provision of information and advice to remain active, discouraging routine referral for imaging, and limited prescription of opioids. This systematic review describes usual care provided by first-contact physicians to patients with LBP. Studies that reported the assessments and care provided to people with LBP in family practice and emergency departments (EDs) from January 2000 to May 2019 were identified by searches of PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL … ABSTRACT

Palpation constitutes a central element of osteopathic diagnosis and therapy. It is a complex tactile performance and as such also depends on cognitive factors. References by experienced osteopaths (EOs) suggest that the ability to visualise anatomical structures is essential during palpation. Scientific studies in this field can hardly be found. This study aimed to systematically determine what role mental imagery (MI) plays for osteopaths and especially what the benefits are when it is used spontaneously and deliberately … MORE

Low back pain (LBP) is a common reason people seek osteopathic care. The biopsychosocial (BPS) model is a clinical model encompassing complex contextual aspects that contribute to a person’s pain experience. This study aimed to understand osteopaths’ experiences of the practical application of the BPS model to patients with LBP, and to describe any challenges in operationalisation … ABSTRACT

Interoception is defined as the sense of physiological condition of the whole body, not only the visceral inputs posited by Sherrington but including skin and musculoskeletal inputs, as demonstrated in more recent neuroanatomical studies. Ongoing perception of physiological state supports homeostatic regulation and allostatic adaptation, ensuring survival by motivating behaviour through the dynamic interplay between bodily sensations, subjective feelings and cognitive appraisals … ABSTRACT

Information about the characteristics of patients who use osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is limited. The objective of this study is to determine the scope of conditions being managed with OMT and describe the characteristics of patients who receive OMT … ABSTRACT