Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 2021/02, 42101277. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101277, type of study: ,rev,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Full text    (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S174438812031152X?via%3Dihub)

Keywords:

osteopathic manipulative treatment [3946]
OMT [3925]
therapeutic touch [4]
clinical osteopathic practice [2]
review [753]
manipulation [261]

Abstract:

INTRODUCTION: Osteopathy relies on a touch-based approach to promote health. This narrative review aims to analyze the role of touch in clinical osteopathic practice. METHODS: A database search was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, PEDro and Google Scholar. Peer-reviewed papers without specifying limits on dates and design were included. RESULTS: 47 articles met the inclusion criteria and were used to elucidate two main themes: Biological and psychological effects of touch; Touch in the context of osteopathic clinical reasoning. DISCUSSION: Touch is one of the tools to achieve a collaborative interaction with the patient, to substantiate clinical information, and to detect somatic dysfunctions: neuro-myofascial active areas that might act as an osteopath-patient interface to transmit the biological and physiological effects of touch. CONCLUSION: The findings of the review support a shared decision-making process, in which touch is one of the osteopath-patient dyad 's leading communication tools to develop a tailor-made osteopathic approach.