A process approach in osteopathy: beyond the structural model

The innate capacity of the body/person for self-recovery and healing is a key concept in osteopathy and the basis of clinical management for a broad range of conditions. It is believed that health and functionality can be improved by supporting the person’s self-recovery processes; in particular, by removing structural and biomechanical obstacles that may impede the body’s capacity to engage effectively in recovery. This clinical approach and its supporting conceptual framework are often referred to as the Structural Model. However, research findings in the last three decades have challenged the plausibility of the Structural Model and imply that the role of osteopathy in supporting health and recovery needs to be reconsidered. In response to these findings an alternative management called a Process Approach is proposed. This approach aims to directly support the processes associated with recovery; namely, repair, adaptation and alleviation of symptoms. This Masterclass article will discuss the current scientific challenges to the Structural Model in Osteopathy, the physiological, practical and therapeutic limitations of this model in supporting recovery processes and present the reasoning and principles of the Process Approach in osteopathic care … MORE

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Limits Chronic Constipation in a Child with Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome

Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome (PTHS) is a rare genetic disorder caused by insufficient expression of the TCF4 gene. Children with PTHS typically present with gastrointestinal disorders and early severe chronic constipation is frequently found (75%). Here the authors describe the case of a PTHS male 10-year-old patient with chronic constipation in whom Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) resulted in improved bowel functions, as assessed by the diary, the QPGS-Form A Section C questionnaire, and the Paediatric Bristol Stool Form Scale. The authors suggested that OMT may be a valid tool to improve the defecation frequency and reduce enema administration in PTHS patients … MORE

Somatic Dysfunction in the Diagnosis of Uncommon Ectopic Pregnancies: Surgical Correlation and Comparison With Related Pathologic Findings

Ectopic pregnancies occur when the implantation of a fertilized ovum occurs outside the endometrial cavity. Such pregnancies occur in approximately 1.5% to 2.0% of all pregnancies and cause 6% of maternal deaths. The objectives of this study were to evaluate osteopathic structural examination (OSE) findings in patients with ectopic pregnancies of uncommon locations and to establish the utility of these findings in the diagnosis of these ectopic pregnancies … MORE

Analysis of the upper cervical spine stiffness during axial rotation: A comparative study among patients with tension-type headache or migraine and asymptomatic subjects

Many studies reported the implication of the cervical musculoskeletal system in patients with tension type headache and migraine. The objective of this study is to investigate the upper cervical spine stiffness features in axial rotation among headache patients in comparison with a healthy population … ABSTRACT

An introduction to the use of outcomes questionnaires in osteopathic practice

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Improves Heart Surgery Outcomes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Controlling sternal pain after heart surgery is important to reduce the risk of postoperative complications, but pain is often undertreated because of contraindications and side effects of analgesic drugs. Recently, osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) was demonstrated to reduce pain in different clinical contexts, suggesting its potential utility after cardiac surgery. The aim of this open-label, controlled study is to assess whether OMT contributes to sternal pain relief and improves postoperative outcomes … ABSTRACT

Osteopathic Philosophy and Manipulation Enhancement Program: Influence on Osteopathic Medical Students’ Interest in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Interest in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) among first- and second-year osteopathic medical students typically declines toward the end of the second year of medical school. An osteopathic philosophy and manipulation enhancement (OPME) program was implemented for osteopathic medical students to gain additional exposure to OMM at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York, New York. The objective of this survey was to assess how additional exposure to OMM through the OPME program influenced first- and second-year students’ interest in using OMM … ABSTRACT

Holism in Osteopathy – Bridging the gap between concept and practice: A grounded theory study

This study aimed to explore the meaning of holism to Osteopathic professionals and thus develop a theory to inform the gap between holism as a concept and its implementation in clinical practice … ABSTRACT

How do the number and the duration between osteopathic treatments in uence the e ect on patients su ering from foot-related pain? A dose-response study