How many osteopaths in australia

The diversity of coexisting complaints emphasises the need for osteopathic training to encompass the common medical considerations for these conditions, as well as developing the diagnostic skills to recognise the signs and symptoms of medical presentations requiring referral.

While a wide scope of treatment approaches were reported to be used in this study, soft tissue techniques, MET and articulation techniques made up more than half of all treatment approaches.

The primary choice of treatment modalities reflects the findings of the previous research [ 8 , 9 ]. Soft tissue technique, MET and articulation are fundamental osteopathic techniques taught very early in the training regime of novice osteopaths, and the dominant use of these techniques by the majority of practitioners may reflect the simplicity of the techniques, the ease with which they are implemented or possibly the efficacy of the techniques.

These treatment approaches are generally considered to have a minimal risk associated with technique safety, and may account for the low number of adverse events and the high level of patient satisfaction reported. Education and advice was the fourth most common treatment approach used, reflecting the complex nature of osteopathic care.

The previous evidence suggested that patients seeking osteopathic care considered their treatment to be effective and a substantial number experienced reduction of pain The outcome of treatments reported by this study were very positive with For those patients whose treatments were completed to point of discharge, referred, or placed on maintenance schedule Maintenance treatment schedules are used for patients with underlying chronic conditions or circumstances such as occupational stresses that may lead to a repeat exacerbation of the presenting condition.

The purpose of such treatments is to attempt to prevent reoccurrence or limit the severity of any reoccurrence of a particular complaint consistent with the preventative philosophy that is fundamental to osteopathic principles. The frequency of complications to osteopathic treatment reported in this study was low, with the most significant reaction being increased pain after treatment.

In acute presentations, it is not unusual to expect an exacerbation of symptoms after the initial treatment when using manual therapy techniques [ 17 ] such as soft tissue and articulation. The majority of patients did not experience any adverse reactions or events, and the number of complications was shown to decrease between the initial and final visits. This is likely to indicate both the low-risk nature of techniques commonly employed and the probability that the patient becomes accustomed to osteopathic treatment.

The treatment status question SDC tool Item 54 was not answered in 25 cases of the patients suitable for treatment, and 48 patients did not return for further treatment for reasons unknown; the most conservative interpretation is to assume that these patients 9. While these results should be viewed conservatively, as they are practitioner-reported, previous research has reported similar findings [ 10 ]. It must be noted that the severity of the complication was not asked and cannot be commented upon, and is a point for future research.

The considerable improvements reported after the initial and subsequent treatments would, within the limitations of this study, support the perception of clinical effectiveness of the osteopathic treatment approaches for the condition presenting in this study. The actual effectiveness of osteopathic clinical treatment would need to be established using standardised outcome measures assessed independently from the practitioner delivering the treatment.

Much of the research into Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment OMT has focused on proving efficacy of the manual treatment components of osteopathic practice by conducting randomised controlled trials RCT [ 19 ]. The diversity of treatment approaches, as indicated by range of modalities used in any particular clinical encounter would indicate the translation of strictly controlled RCTs to clinical practice would be very difficult.

This study provides data to support, within limitations, the effectiveness and safety of clinical practice of OMT in Australia, and pragmatic trials of osteopathic practice should be undertaken to provide stronger evidence for osteopathic practice as a complex intervention to inform other health care practitioners and patients on the scope of osteopathy, its effectiveness and safety. The data collection tool used in this study was useful in describing the activities of osteopaths in Australian practice.

The tool was developed and trialled in the UK and was used as faithfully as possible to the original version. A number of omissions in the data were identified during analysis. Another limitation of this study is that the practitioner, rather than the patient, reported the outcomes of treatment and there is potential bias in that the practitioner may be reporting on successful cases rather than all cases.

Future studies should consider independently seeking patient feedback, and the viability of including audits of clinical records used in the data collection.

The method of this study was performed as set out in the guidelines given by NCOR [ 14 ]. The participation rate was low and extrapolating the results to the greater osteopathic population in Australia should be done with caution.

Due to this low participation rate it is possible that the complete scope of osteopathic practice may not be covered; however the distribution of practitioners and other demographics are consistent with previously published studies [ 8 , 9 , 12 ]. The nature of osteopathic practice in Australia as captured by the SCD tool has remained stable, despite recent rapid growth within the profession. In this study, osteopaths in Australia mainly see patients with acute or sub-acute musculoskeletal problems which are predominantly spinal conditions.

A significant proportion of these patients have one or more significant coexisting condition, which was not their primary reason for seeking osteopathic treatment. The major coexisting conditions are cardiovascular, anxiety and depression, and respiratory symptoms. These conditions have not been previously reported in the literature on osteopathic practice in Australia.

The majority of patients experience a significant improvement within a small number of treatments median 3 and complications were minor, with no major adverse events being reported. There is a need for objective evidence to test these patient outcomes, and pragmatic trials of osteopathic practice should be undertaken to provide stronger evidence for the effectiveness and safety of osteopathic practice as a complex intervention.

RM and SB were responsible for the conceptualisation of this project. AZ and RM were responsible for the data analysis. AZ contributed to the data analysis and interpretation, critical review and revision of the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.

We would also like to thank all participants who contributed their time to completing the surveys, and the Australian Osteopathic Association and Antony Nicholas, Executive Director, for their advertising and support.

National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. Published online Aug 1. Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer.

Corresponding author. Sharyn R Burke: ua. Received Oct 18; Accepted Jul This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Abstract Background There is limited evidence available to describe a profile of osteopathic practice in Australia. Methods A voluntary national paper-based survey using a modified UK-developed standardised data collection tool was distributed to and completed by osteopaths across Australia between June and June Results Fifty four osteopaths participated in this study and returned a total of patient records.

Conclusions In this study, Australian osteopaths mainly see patients with acute or sub-acute musculoskeletal problems which are predominantly spinal conditions. Keywords: Osteopathy, Osteopathic medicine, Cross-sectional survey, Scope of practice, Clinical presentations. Background Osteopathy in Australia was the fastest growing complementary health profession at the last reported national census, with the reported number of osteopaths having tripled in number between and [ 1 , 2 ].

Design A voluntary, paper-based survey was distributed to osteopathic clinics across Australia between June and June Data collection Each participant was sent a package by post containing 20 copies of the SDC tool, information guidelines on how to complete the forms, and prepaid envelopes for returning the completed forms.

Information guidelines Participants were asked to complete the forms by filling in the information regarding the demographics and presenting complaint at the first appointment. Participants: practitioners In a separate online survey through Survey Monkey, participants were asked to provide details of their qualifications, number of years in practice, fulltime or part time practice, relevant postgraduate education and location of practice.

Statistical analysis Descriptive statistical analysis percentage , correlations and cross tabulations of data chi square test were conducted using SPSS Results Participants: practitioner information Of the 74 registered osteopaths who responded to the recruitment e-flyer and agreed to participate, 54 returned data for this study.

Open in a separate window. Patient records Patient demographic information A total of patient records were collected from the 54 osteopaths who participated. Clinical presentations The data collection form allowed for up to three symptom areas to be recorded. Table 3 Clinical presentations for patients in this study and AOA census data [ 12 ]. Treatment approaches Of the patients whose information was recorded in this study, 4 were deemed unsuitable for treatment at the first consultation, and a further 15 patients did not receive treatment at the first consultation, despite being considered suitable for treatment.

Table 4 Treatment approaches for patients in this study. Treatment outcomes The number of treatments delivered to each patient was reported in records, with the median number of treatments being 3 min. Table 5 Treatment outcomes for patients in this study. Patient management During the data collection period, approximately one in six Table 6 Patient management.

Discussion While osteopathy has been practiced in Australia since [ 5 ], is a government-regulated profession, and has experienced recent growth, it is still one of the smallest registered health professions in Australia.

Clinical presentations Consistent with previous studies, the prevailing presentations to osteopathic care in Australia in this study are musculoskeletal problems and are mainly spinal conditions [ 8 - 10 ]. Treatment approaches While a wide scope of treatment approaches were reported to be used in this study, soft tissue techniques, MET and articulation techniques made up more than half of all treatment approaches.

Limitations The data collection tool used in this study was useful in describing the activities of osteopaths in Australian practice. You must be government registered, meet high professional standards and complete annual continuing professional education to practice osteopathy in Australia. Osteopathy Australia's information on Advanced Practice Recognition, formal professional titling and quality review frameworks relating to advanced practice focus areas.

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Get a new password Join Osteopathy Australia. Working as an Osteopath Advanced Practice Recognition. Our Board Our Values Strategy. Osteopathy Committees Staff. Join Us. Research Aims and Priorities Research Grants. Research and Articles Research Committee. Osteo Matters eNews. Promote your membership of Osteopathy Australia. Recruitment Locums. Student Placement Commercial. Working as an Osteopath Osteopathy is an established allied health service in Australia.

Osteopathy has been practised here for over years and Australia was one of the first countries in the world to regulate osteopathy. Most Australian osteopaths work in private, primary practice, meaning consumers can book appointments directly and can see an osteopath without a medical referral. This requires osteopaths to have the knowledge, diagnostic and assessment skills to ensure they can refer patients for any condition outside their scope of practice.

Osteopathy can be a satisfying and fulfilling career which is adaptable to both part-time and full-time work. The osteopathic profession is the fastest-growing allied health profession in Australia, with the number of osteopaths almost doubling every decade for the last several decades.

Our Transition to Practice Program Our Transition to Practice Program recognises the move from studying to working as an osteopath is a challenging time. Workshop Topics can include