Treatment of the viscera in osteopathic practice in Europe
Flisijn, Lex (2024)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024052918029
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024052918029
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how treatment of the viscera affect the way osteopaths work and make decisions in the therapeutic process. The aim is to initiate discussion amongst educators, researchers, and policy makers in Europe about the role of the viscera and raise awareness for the viscera in the osteopathic concept.
Online semi structured interviews have been recorded, transcribed, and analysed via inductive content analysis. A pre-determined set of graphics deepened the interpretation and understanding of a few essential terms. Participants had at least five years of osteopathic experience, communicate in English, and not being involved in teaching or research in the visceral field. Seven participants from different European countries have been interviewed via Zoom. Transcriptions were coded, grouped, and regrouped in sub-categories emerging four main themes. Qualitative analysis resulted in a matrix of results per category and participant.
The main themes demand, benefits and limitations showed valuable information why treatment of the viscera affect the work of an osteopath. Patients and other healthcare providers are not always aware of the fact that an osteopath can deal with visceral complaints or integrates viscera in a treatment. Personal interest, training, success rate, patient population and legislation are influencing factors. Treatment results are experienced to improve, especially in complex and complicated cases. Viscera integrate several body parts, tissues and systems that can influence non-visceral and visceral complaints and stimulation of self-healing mechanisms. Integrating viscera in the treatment only to exclude red flags, suggests a fundamentally different interpretation of the osteopathic concept. Contact with the patient is deepened and more interoceptive, opening discussion on secondary complaints, health beliefs and psycho-emotional issues. The fourth main theme was the use of viscera in the decision making process. Participants had quite different definitions and ways of clinical reasoning. Critical thinking, clinical reasoning, clinical judgement, and treatment results emerged as aspects for decision making. Focus on one of these steps depends on personality, interpretation of the concept and complexity of the complaint.
Viscera offer high potential for the osteopathic profession. Many patients have visceral complaints in conjunction with their main reason to visit an osteopath. Osteopathy is one of the very few manual therapies including the viscera. Every day osteopaths experience positive treatment results by including viscera into the treatment. By raising awareness for this at the level of patients and healthcare providers the profession can take advantage as already proven in some countries. Viscera play a linking role in the body being a good example of looking at the patient as a whole ‘unit’. Both intuitive and analytical skills are needed to include viscera in the treatment, integrating these two dimensions of the profession. Raising awareness in education and research could therefore be of excellent value in discussions about identity and future of the profession. The originality of this thesis has been checked using Turnitin Originality Check service.
Online semi structured interviews have been recorded, transcribed, and analysed via inductive content analysis. A pre-determined set of graphics deepened the interpretation and understanding of a few essential terms. Participants had at least five years of osteopathic experience, communicate in English, and not being involved in teaching or research in the visceral field. Seven participants from different European countries have been interviewed via Zoom. Transcriptions were coded, grouped, and regrouped in sub-categories emerging four main themes. Qualitative analysis resulted in a matrix of results per category and participant.
The main themes demand, benefits and limitations showed valuable information why treatment of the viscera affect the work of an osteopath. Patients and other healthcare providers are not always aware of the fact that an osteopath can deal with visceral complaints or integrates viscera in a treatment. Personal interest, training, success rate, patient population and legislation are influencing factors. Treatment results are experienced to improve, especially in complex and complicated cases. Viscera integrate several body parts, tissues and systems that can influence non-visceral and visceral complaints and stimulation of self-healing mechanisms. Integrating viscera in the treatment only to exclude red flags, suggests a fundamentally different interpretation of the osteopathic concept. Contact with the patient is deepened and more interoceptive, opening discussion on secondary complaints, health beliefs and psycho-emotional issues. The fourth main theme was the use of viscera in the decision making process. Participants had quite different definitions and ways of clinical reasoning. Critical thinking, clinical reasoning, clinical judgement, and treatment results emerged as aspects for decision making. Focus on one of these steps depends on personality, interpretation of the concept and complexity of the complaint.
Viscera offer high potential for the osteopathic profession. Many patients have visceral complaints in conjunction with their main reason to visit an osteopath. Osteopathy is one of the very few manual therapies including the viscera. Every day osteopaths experience positive treatment results by including viscera into the treatment. By raising awareness for this at the level of patients and healthcare providers the profession can take advantage as already proven in some countries. Viscera play a linking role in the body being a good example of looking at the patient as a whole ‘unit’. Both intuitive and analytical skills are needed to include viscera in the treatment, integrating these two dimensions of the profession. Raising awareness in education and research could therefore be of excellent value in discussions about identity and future of the profession. The originality of this thesis has been checked using Turnitin Originality Check service.