The role of touch in osteopathic practice: A narrative review and integrative hypothesis

Francesca Baroni; Nuria Ruffini; Giandomenico D'Alessandro; Giacomo Consorti; Christian Lunghi

doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101277

The role of touch in osteopathic practice: A narrative review and integrative hypothesis

Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021 Feb:42:101277. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101277. Epub 2020 Dec 1.

Authors

Francesca Baroni¹, Nuria Ruffini², Giandomenico D'Alessandro³, Giacomo Consorti⁴, Christian Lunghi¹

Affiliations

¹ Clinical-based Human Research Department, Research Division, COME Collaboration, Pescara, Italy; Malta ICOM Educational, Malta.
² Clinical-based Human Research Department, Research Division, COME Collaboration, Pescara, Italy; National Centre Germany, Foundation C.O.ME. Collaboration, Berlin, Germany.
³ Clinical-based Human Research Department, Research Division, COME Collaboration, Pescara, Italy.
⁴ Clinical-based Human Research Department, Research Division, COME Collaboration, Pescara, Italy; Research Department of the Centre pour L'Etude, La Recherche et La Diffusion Osteopathiques (C.E.R.D.O.), Rome, Italy. Electronic address: giacomo.consorti@isoi.it.

PMID: 33348305
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101277

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.

Keywords: Manipulation; Osteopathic; Touch.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Humans
Osteopathic Medicine*
Osteopathic Physicians*
Touch*