Osteopathy Evidence and Research

The first South African osteopathic regulatory Act was passed in 1974; as the Homeopaths, Naturopaths, Osteopaths and Herbalists Act, 1974. Ironically, this is exactly 100 years since Osteopathy was founded by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still in 1874 in the USA.

The Allied Health Professions Act, of 1982 was passed and the Allied Health Professionals Council of South Africa (AHPCSA) was established in order to control all allied health professions, which includes Osteopathy.

Osteopathic associations promote the development and progression of osteopathic medicine and serve as a professional society for osteopaths.

There is large scope for Osteopathic medicine in Africa to grow. The Osteopathic Association of South Africa is the professional body representing osteopathy in South Africa. Members of the Association all comply with the minimum standards of registration as stipulated by the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa. At this time there is no available training for osteopaths in South Africa. The training is of an exceptionally high standard and osteopathic practitioners graduate after four to six years of training and education.

Osteopaths practicing in South Africa all comply with the minimum standards of registration as stipulated by the Allied Health Professionals Council of South Africa. Practitioners who do not meet these standards are not permitted to practice Osteopathy or claim to be an osteopath in South Africa.

Please be aware that some terms such as osteopractic, osteomyology and myosteopractic etc do exist but essentially this is not osteopathy.

Osteopathic Associations

Osteopathic Registers And Governing Bodies

Osteopathic Journals And Clinical Research

Osteopathic Colleges

Aswani, K., Fund GP study reveals benefits of osteopathy. Fundholding 7 June 1994 x615.533

Baum, M Prof., Concepts of holism in orthodox and alternative medicine. British Osteopathic Journal 1992 Vol vii: 12-66

Bayliss, R.l., The National Health Service versus private and complementary medicine.British Medical Journal 21 May 1988, 296, 1457-9.

British Medical Association.Complementary Medicine: New Approaches to Good Practice 0UP, 1993. 615.5

Budd, C., A model of co-operation between complementary and allopathic medicine in a primary care setting. British Journal of General Practice 1990, 40, 376-8. x615.5

Burns. K. & Lyttleton, L.K., Osteopathy on the NHS: one practice’s experience. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 1994, 2, 200-3

Burns. K. & Lyttleton, L.K., Osteopathy in General Practice British Journal of General Practice February and June 1993: 284

Cameron-Blackie, G. and Mouncer, Y.

Complementary Therapies in the NHS. The National Association of Health Authorities and Trusts, 1993. x615.5. Clinical Standards Advisory Group Back Pain HMSO, 1994 Kinalski, R.,

The comparison of the results of manual therapy versus Physiotherapy methods used in the treatment of patients with low back pain. Manual Medicine 1984 4:44-46

MacDonald, R.S. Dr., An open controlled assessment of osteopathic manipulation in non-specific low back pain. Spine 1990 15(5): 364-370

MacDonald, R.S. Dr., Osteopathic diagnosis of back pain. Manual Medicine 1988 3:110-113

Peters, D. et al, Musculoskeletal clinic in general practice: Study of one year’s referrals.British Journal of General Practice 1994, 44, 25-9. X615.533

Pringle, M. & Tyreman, S., Study of 500 patients attending an osteopathic practice. British Journal of General Practice January 1993, 43, 15-8, x615.533

Reason, P., Towards a clinical framework for collaboration between general and complementary practitioners; Discussion paper. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine March 1992, 85, 3, 161-4

Stodolny, J., Manual therapy in the treatment of patients with cervical migraine. Manual Medicine 1989 4(2): 49-51

Szmelskyj, A.O. and Morris, J., An investigation into GP’s attitudes to and knowledge of osteopathy. Complementary Medical Research October 1992,6,3,119-24

Thomas, K.J., Use of non-orthodox and conventional health care in Britain. British Medical Journal 26 January 1991, 302, 207-10

Williams, N. Dr., Managing back pain in general practice – Is osteopathy the new paradigm? British Journal of General Practice October 1997, 653-5

Specific Osteopathic Research Undertaken With Control Groups

Boesler D. et al. Efficacy of high-velocity low-amplitude manipulative Technique in subjects with low-back pain during menstrual cramping.

Journal of the American Osteopathic Association 1993, 93, 2, 203-8 & 213-4.

Burton, A.K. & Getty, C.J.M. Differences between ‘orthopaedic’ and ‘osteopathic’ patients with low back trouble – implications for selecting patients for rehabilitation.

In Roland, M.0. & Jenner, J.R. (eds.) Back Pain: New Approaches to Rehabilitation and Education. Manchester University Press, 1989, 166-73.

Ellestad, S.M. Electromyographic and skin resistance responses to osteopathic manipulative treatment for low back pain. Journal of the American Osteopathic Association August 1988, 88, 8, 991-7.

Macdonald, R.S. & Bell, C.M.J. An open controlled assessment of osteopathic manipulation in non-specific low-back pain. Spine May 1990, 15, 5, 364-70.

View a list of common complains that Osteopathy can assist with

Discovery the benefits of Osteopathy