Unpublished MSc thesis, Unitec Institute of Technology, 2021/01, 190, type of study: ,scr,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Free full text   (https://www.researchbank.ac.nz/handle/10652/5495)

Keywords:

evidence-based medicine [150]
OMT [3924]
osteopathic manipulative treatment [3945]
research [484]
scoping review [57]

Abstract:

RESEARCH QUESTION: What primary, peer reviewed research has been published where osteopathic manual therapy (OMT) is used as an intervention, between 2010 - 2021? ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Evidence based practice (EBP) is an approach in healthcare that integrates the use of the best available research, practitioner experience and patient values into clinical decision making for optimal health outcomes. In the field of osteopathy practitioners are required to engage in the EBP process however, osteopathic practitioners feel challenged by a lack of time and relevant research in the field and a fear of losing professional identity in EBP. There are positive indications of growth in osteopathic research, but no study has been conducted that clearly outlines what research currently exists in the osteopathic literature and what the body of literature looks like. METHODS: A 5-stage scoping review framework was employed to explore the breadth and nature of research where osteopathic manual therapy (OMT) is used as an intervention. Searches were done across PubMed, ScienceDirect, EBSCO and BASE databases. Inclusion criteria involved peer-reviewed, empirical studies published in English between January 2010 – March 2021. Data was extracted and categorised into 10 broad topics based on the anatomical site or condition in which the OMT intervention was focused. RESULTS: The final review comprised 292 studies, including 78 case reports and 24 systematic reviews. Three qualitative studies and one mixed methodology study were present. Studies assessing OMT for lower back pain (LBP) was found to have the largest area of research. CONCLUSION: The osteopathic literature appears largely dominated by quantitative research. The research could be categorised across ten broad topics indicating OMT has been studied in a wide range of conditions. However, research gaps have been identified within the categories of this review suggesting the research has inconsistent coverage. Moreover, the number of isolated research publications gives a fragmented impression of the literature. Osteopathic research may benefit from a more considered research agenda, where research is methodically generated to fill contextual gaps in the literature.