Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40849489›Full record

ArticleChiropractic & manual therapies2025

Characteristics of Australian and New Zealand osteopaths who treat patients presenting with non-musculoskeletal complaints: outcomes from two practice-based research networks.

Brett Vaughan, Francesco Cerritelli, Jerry Draper-Rodi, Jack Feehan, Ana Paula A Ferreira, Michael Fleischmann, Gopi McLeod, Cindy McIntyre, Chantal Morin, Lee Muddle and 7 more

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Article in Chiropractic & manual therapies, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Brett VaughanSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia. brett.vaughan@unimelb.edu.au.
Francesco CerritelliSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Jerry Draper-RodiSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Jack FeehanSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Ana Paula A FerreiraSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Michael FleischmannSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Gopi McLeodSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Cindy McIntyreSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Chantal MorinSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Lee MuddleSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Oliver P ThomsonSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Loïc TreffelSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Nicholas TripodiSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Kesava Kovanur SampathSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Niklas Sinderholm SposatoSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Amie SteelSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Jon AdamsSchool of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAustralian and New Zealand osteopaths predominantly manage musculoskeletal complaints using a variety of modalities including manual therapy, exercise and lifestyle and occupational advice. There appears to be a small percentage of patients who seek osteopathy care for non-musculoskeletal issues such as conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The evidence base for osteopathic treatment as part of the management of such conditions is equivocal. The aim of this study was to describe the practice of Australian and New Zealand osteopaths who report often treating patients with non-musculoskeletal complaints.

methodsThis study is a secondary analysis of data from the Australian and New Zealand osteopathy practice-based research networks (PBRNs) collected in Australia from July to December 2016 and in New Zealand from August to December 2018. Respondents to the PBRN baseline surveys were asked to provide information about their demographic, patient and clinical management characteristics. One of these characteristics was the frequency of treating patients presenting with non-musculoskeletal complaints. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to inform regression modelling of significant predictors of often managing non-musculoskeletal complaints.

resultsOf the 1254 osteopath participants from Australia and NZ, 13.5% (n = 170) reported often treating patients presenting with non-MSK complaints. Significant predictors of often treating patients presenting with non-MSK complaints were often using visceral (ORa 3.54 95%CI 2.15-5.85) and Osteopathy in the Cranial Field (OCF) (ORa 2.05 95%CI 1.20-3.51) techniques, and often treating patients up to the age of 3 years (ORa 3.05 95%CI 1.89-4.90).

conclusionMore than one in ten Australian and New Zealand osteopaths report often treating patients presenting with non-MSK complaints, with the dominant manual therapy approaches used being visceral techniques and OCF. This study provides a unique insight into the characteristics of osteopaths who often treat patients presenting with non-MSK complaints. Further research is required to examine if patients seek out care from an osteopath specifically for non-MSK complaints or primarily seek out care from an osteopath for MSK complaints but are managed for non-MSK complaints as a secondary consideration.

Indexed as

Manipulation, OsteopathicOsteopathic MedicineOsteopathic PhysiciansAdultAgedAustraliaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNew ZealandSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultAllied healthManipulative therapyManual therapyOsteopathic medicinePublic health

Identifiers

PMID40849489
PMCPMC12374476

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.