Will the ‘real’ osteopathy please speak up?

Article Outline

• Copyright

Each of us has an idea of what osteopathy is, and for those of us in practice, it is also something we physically engage with. In the first of his commentaries in this issue, Professor Stephen Tyreman 90-95 discusses the issue of professional values – and whether they guide professional practice, or result from it. Readers are also asked to consider if ‘osteopathy is a profession’, and reflect upon fundamental issues about what constitutes ‘real’ osteopathy. In a second commentary 102-105, Tyreman adds a useful discussion to the question about the place of science in osteopathy. He argues that osteopathy is very much something that we do, and that science is but one of the tools we draw on in order to do it.

Many readers will relate to this, and perhaps consider that scientific articles do not capture the osteopathy they know and understand. Some people may find the IJOM is too focused on the science that supports the art of osteopathy, and they would prefer articles on the ‘real’ thing. One of the most common ways that ‘real’ osteopathy makes it into press is with the simple case study. We would like to see more case studies submitted to IJOM for publication, which is one reason for the title of this editorial.

In this edition, we publish a case study by Dr Janine Leach 106-111 who provides an account of the osteopathic treatment of a patient who has survived gastric cancer, but who has been left with reduced quality of life. Leach outlines the typical sequelae following medical and surgical treatment for gastric cancer, and then describes her approach to the osteopathic management of this patient.

Case studies like this are vital for the documentation of the scope of osteopathic practice. On the one hand, we will only ever know if osteopathy is effective, in scientific terms, if good quality clinical trials are conducted. On the other hand, clinical trials are unlikely to be conducted if there is no documentary evidence of the potential effects of osteopathic treatment, such as that provided by case studies, single system research designs and small pilot studies. This is why it is important for osteopaths to write about what they do, and report those unusual patient presentations and unexpected or exceptional outcomes that we all experience. After all, this is what we do and experience in the ‘real’ world, and is what Stephen Tyreman refers to in his commentary as practice.

Continuing with the issue of ‘values’, Peter Sommerfeld presents an in-depth discussion of the many different values that influence the teaching of osteopathy. Sommerfeld is writing from a philosophical perspective, and readers are encouraged to persevere with the less familiar language in this paper.

As can be seen from the contents of this issue, continues to provide a platform for the osteopathic profession globally, to raise issues, pose questions and seek answers. All the authors who have published with IJOM have gone to considerable lengths to have their work published, and as an editor who sees each piece of work go through numerous revisions, it is always gratifying to see the final work ‘in print’. As a profession, we should cast a generous thought to those who have taken up the challenge to conduct a research project and write up their findings in the form of a publishable paper, and persist with the rigors of peer review. Writing for publication can be challenging for authors, especially those who are attempting to publish for the first time.

There are many ideas, concepts and topics yet to covered within the journal, and the editors welcome discourse and debate on any aspect of osteopathy. This is the second reason for the title of this editorial. If your understanding of ‘real’ osteopathy is underrepresented in IJOM, then we would encourage you to contribute your own thoughts and ideas. The best way to start this process is in the form of a letter to the editor or commentary. For those of you who would like to follow the process a bit further, perhaps you might consider becoming involved with researchers at osteopathic institutions that have research programs.

I hope you enjoy this issue of the IJOM, and find something of interest among the articles, book reviews, research and treatment bulletin and CPD sections.