Osteopathy is a complementary medical method, or a treatment method. It is based on an alternative model of disease origination than the scientifically-based medicine practiced today.The principle of osteopathy can be traced back to the American country doctor Andrew Taylor Still. He believed that misalignments of muscles and joints lead to diseases. If these misalignments are corrected by gentle pressure and alleged blockages of muscles and joints are released, the body would be able to heal itself (for example, through improved blood supply). This alternative approach was a comprehensible thought in the era of so-called “heroic medicine”, when doctors used techniques such as bloodletting or heavy metals and mostly harmed rather than benefited the patient. However, the question is whether this thought is still meaningful in today’s era of modern medicine with evidence-based benefit-risk analysis.
Effectiveness of Osteopathy?
The technique that Still himself applied focused primarily on muscles and bones – hence the name osteopathy (= bone disorder). This technique, which focuses on the musculoskeletal system, is now called parietal osteopathy. The fact that parietal osteopathy, where the muscles are stretched, can work for back pain, for example, is quite understandable. In addition to parietal osteopathy, there are two other areas that are practiced: visceral and craniosacral osteopathy. However, both approaches are based on unproven and sometimes absurd assumptions.
Like many other alternative methods, osteopathy is also supposed to be helpful for a variety of complaints and diseases, even if these diseases have completely different pathophysiological bases. However, if one looks at the extent to which these claims can be substantiated with scientific evidence, it is extremely sobering. The most reliable data still exist for back pain. Otherwise, there is no scientifically valid evidence for the effectiveness of osteopathy – this also applies to the effectiveness for multiple sclerosis.
Osteopathy not useful for MS
Those who want to deal more intensively with the study situation on osteopathy are recommended a well-researched internet page of the WDR on osteopathy. (How helpful is osteopathy?). Can we therefore recommend a method for treating multiple sclerosis or its symptoms for which there is neither a rational scientific basis nor sufficient study data on its effectiveness? I think the answer is quite clear from a scientific-medical point of view: of course not! Osteopathy is not useful for treating multiple sclerosis. You can save the costs, which you usually have to bear yourself.
Nevertheless, patients swear by the method again and again and report (especially at the beginning) an improvement in their condition. And this once again proves that the question of the sense and nonsense of a method is not so easy to answer. In chronic diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, empathetic attention to the patient is extremely important. A factor that is often neglected in the fast-paced rhythm of a neurologist’s practice or specialty clinic. On the other hand, osteopaths can take their time, listen in a relaxed atmosphere, and convey the promise of a gentle, side effect-free and “holistic” medicine. This is the power of osteopathy, and it is a pity that time and empathy are often lacking in our current medical system.
Non-specific effect of osteopathy
On the other hand, as a patient, one should be aware that it is primarily the context factors that convey the “good feeling”. The effect of osteopathy is non-specific. Ultimately, you get a placebo effect packaged in wellness, which can also certainly be powerful. However, it is certainly not enough to control a chronic disease like MS.
On the positive side, the method is relatively harmless and poses no real dangers. The danger, however, lies in succumbing to the extensive healing promises of osteopathy and thus delaying or even omitting sensible treatment measures. Therefore, it is important, if you want to be treated with osteopathy, to have this done by a doctor or physiotherapist trained in osteopathy. He knows (hopefully) the limits of the method and, in case of serious medical problems, informs the patient in a serious manner and consults the appropriate specialists.
And last but not least, I would ask the question whether we do not have much more powerful and sensible complementary methods available with physiotherapy and physical activity. Do we need osteopathy?
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