Research Digest

1. OSCAR (Osteopathic Single CAse Research) – Assessing the effect of standard and biopsychosocial osteopathic management for patients with non-specific low back pain: Protocol for a Single Case Experimental Design (SCED)

   Osteopathy has been shown to be effective in the management of chronic low back pain (LBP). Guidelines recommend biopsychosocial care for chronic, complex musculoskeletal conditions, including non-specific LBP. This study has four aims: 1/to assess how patients with LBP improve after osteopathic treatment, both before and after an osteopath has completed a Biopsychosocial Pain Management course; […]

2. Effects of a Myofascial Technique on the Stiffness and Thickness of the Thoracolumbar Fascia and Lumbar Erector Spinae Muscles in Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized before-and-after Experimental Study

   The thoracolumbar fascia (TLF) may be a pain generator, given its rich innervation. Structural and biomechanical changes have also been documented in adults with chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP). Myofascial techniques (MFTs) are commonly used in manual therapy and are hypothesized to reduce tissue stiffness and pain. However, evidence for these effects is limited. […]

3. Effectiveness of osteopathic treatment in patients with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS)

   International continence society mentions that more than 50 % of females suffer from lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and more than 90% of them were not on any medication. LUTS is a term that covers symptoms resulting from conditions affecting the urinary bladder and urethra, prostate, other pelvic organs or any other part of the […]

4. The prevalence of natural menopause means that middle aged women seeking osteopathic treatment are likely to have symptoms, but it is unknown how osteopaths explore and give advice about it. The aim of this study is to explore osteopaths’ experiences of screening for symptoms of menopause and providing advice to climacteric patients … ABSTRACT

5. Osteopathic manipulative treatment of patients with chronic low back pain in the United States: a retrospective cohort study

   The practice of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) varies substantially across nations. Much of this variability may be attributed to disparate international educational, licensing, and regulatory environments that govern the practice of osteopathy by nonphysicians. This is in contrast with the United States, where osteopathic physicians are trained to integrate OMT as part of comprehensive patient […]

6. Impact of osteopathic manipulative techniques on the management of dizziness caused by neuro-otologic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis

   Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) has been utilized by osteopathic clinicians as primary or adjunctive management for dizziness caused by neuro-otologic disorders. To our knowledge, no current systematic reviews provide pooled estimates that evaluate the impact of OMT on dizziness. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of OMT and analogous techniques in the […]

7. “It’s all about the story”. Osteopaths’ experiences of exploring menopausal symptoms: A qualitative interview study

   The prevalence of natural menopause means that middle aged women seeking osteopathic treatment are likely to have symptoms, but it is unknown how osteopaths explore and give advice about it. The aim of this study was to explore osteopaths’ experiences of screening for symptoms of menopause and providing advice to climacteric patients … ABSTRACT

8. Enabling health potential: exploring nonlinear and complex results of osteopathic manual medicine through complex systems theory

   Osteopathic medicine is a holistic, patient-specific approach. Explaining the impact of osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) has been problematic because many of its effects are nonlinear. Complex systems theory (CST) is explored as a mechanism of understanding the interplay of the body’s anatomy and physiology, an illness process, and the effects of OMM. Tensegrity is discussed […]

9. Revisiting chronic low back pain: evidence that it is not non-specific

   There is a common symptom pattern with most chronic low back pain (CLBP), suggesting that there is a common underlying etiology, belying the term “nonspecific.” Many studies of CLBP and its treatment have been conducted with the assumption of nonspecificity, and as a result, treatment has not been focused, thus there has not been a […]

10. Historical Osteopathic Principles and Practices in Contemporary Care: An Anthropological Perspective to Foster Evidence-Informed and Culturally Sensitive Patient-Centered Care: A Commentary

    Historical osteopathic principles and practices (OPP)—considering the patient as a dynamic interaction of the body, mind, and spirit and incorporating the body’s self-healing ability into care—are inherited from traditional/complementary and alternative (CAM) principles. Both concepts are familiar to contemporary osteopathic practitioners, but their incorporation into healthcare for evidence-informed, patient-centered care (PCC) remains unclear. Further, a […]