Unser Einsatz für Qualität, Wissenschaftlichkeit und Forschung in der Osteopathie ist vielfältig:
Wir schaffen und sichern Qualität in der osteopathischen Aus- und Fortbildung, unterstützen u.a. das Erstellen wissenschaftlicher D.O. BAO-Arbeiten und fördern osteopathische Forschungsprojekte.

Geförderte osteopathische Forschungsprojekte:

• Effectiveness of osteopathic manipulative treatment for pediatric conditions: A systematic review
  Franke H., Franke J.-D. , Fryer G.
  erschienen in Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies; March 23, 2022
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2022.03.013

  Abstract

  Background
  Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is commonly used by osteopaths and osteopathic physicians to manage a large variety of pediatric complaints.

  Objective
  The current study reviewed the literature to determine the effectiveness of OMT for all pediatric complaints.

  Methods
  A systematic literature search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) unrestricted by language or publication status was performed in July 2020 in electronic and ongoing trials databases. Included studies were assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias (RoB) instrument. Mean difference or standard mean difference and overall effect size were calculated. Data were synthesized using the GRADE approach.

  Results
  Forty-seven RCTs examining 37 pediatric conditions were reviewed. Twenty-three studies reported significant favorable outcomes for OMT relative to the control intervention, and 14 additional studies reported non-significant outcomes, which suggested potential favorable effects of OMT. Fifteen of the studies were judged to have a low RoB, 12 had high risk, and the remainder had unclear RoB. Using GRADE, there was moderate evidence for the effectiveness of OMT for 13 of the 43 comparisons, particularly for length of hospital stay for preterm infants, but no high-quality evidence for any condition.

  Conclusions
  Although a number of studies indicated positive results with use of OMT, few pediatric conditions have been investigated in more than one study, which results in no high-quality evidence for any condition. Additional research may change estimates of effect, and larger, high-quality RCTs focusing on a smaller range of conditions are recommended.

• Osteopathic Treatment of Infants in Their First Year of Life: A Prospective Multicenter Observational Study (OSTINF Study)
  Florian Schwerla, Boris Daake, Eva Moeckel, Karl-Ludwig Resch 
  erschienen in Complementary Medicine Research 2021;28:395–406
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1159/000514413 
  
  Abstract
  
  Introduction
  In Germany in recent years, a growing number of parents are seeking help from osteopaths for the perceived health complaints of their infants and children. However, reliable evidence for the effectiveness of osteopathic interventions for this group of patients is largely lacking. 
  
  Objective
  To observe and document changes in the symptoms of certain health disturbances, as perceived by parents, during the course of an osteopathic treatment of their baby, and associated side effects. 
  
  Methods
  A single-arm, prospective, multicenter, observational study was chosen as the study design. Parents who contacted an osteopathic practice with any of the following 5 health disturbances were invited to include their baby into the study: idiopathic infant asymmetry (IA), deformational plagiocephaly (DP), feeding disorders (FD), excessive crying (EC), and sleep disorders (SD). Osteopaths performed osteopathic treatment as usual for these conditions, and the parents were asked to rate the perceived severity of symptoms on standardized forms including numerical rating scales (NRS 0–10). In DP, the head circumference of the child’s skull was measured with a craniometer, and the cranial vault index (CVAI) was calculated. 
  
  Results
  230 osteopaths agreed to participate, 151 osteopaths returned parental ratings. 1,136 infants were treated 2.8 ± 1.1 times (mean ± SD). IA was the most prevalent disturbance (48%), followed by EC (18%), FD (15%), DP (14%), and SD (4%). In IA, perceived asymmetry as rated on the NRS improved from 6.1 to 1.1, a mean improvement of 82%. In DP, the CVAI improved from 8.0 to 4.0%, a mean improvement of 51%. FD improved by 77%, EC by 70% (from 7.7 to 2.3 on the NRS) and SD by 56%. Adverse reactions with a timely association with osteopathic treatments were reported in 3.5% of all treatments, probably reflecting typical day-to-day variations in symptoms. In a total of 3,212 treatments, there was not a single serious adverse reaction affecting infant health. 
  
  Conclusions
  This is one of the largest studies worldwide to date on the osteopathic treatment of infants. Osteopathic treatment was associated with major positive changes in the severity of perceived health complaints as assessed by parents, which in most cases were resolved as a matter of concern, and was proved to be a safe treatment modality among a large number of therapists. Based on these results, confirmatory intervention studies can and should be planned and conducted.
  
  
  
• Osteopathische Behandlung chronischer unspezifischer Nackenschmerzen
  Helge Franke, Jan-David Franke, Gary Fryer
  erschienen in Heft 1-2017 der Fachzeitschrift “Osteopathische Medizin”
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1615-9071(17)30009-6 
  
  Zusammenfassung:
  
  Hintergrund
  Unspezifische Nackenschmerzen sind häufig, funktionseinschränkend und führen zu hohen Kosten. Ziel der vorliegenden Übersichtsarbeit war, die Wirksamkeit der osteopathischen Behandlung hinsichtlich Schmerz, funktioneller Einschränkung und Nebenwirkungen bei chronischen, unspezifischen Nackenschmerzen zu untersuchen.
  
  Methoden
  Eine systematische Literaturrecherche ohne sprachliche Einschränkung wurde im März 2014 in verschiedenen elektronischen Datenbanken durchgeführt. Es wurden nur randomisierte klinische Studien berücksichtigt, Studien mit spezifischen Nackenschmerzen oder Studien, die auf einer einzigen Behandlungstechnik beruhten, wurden ausgeschlossen. Primäre Ergebnisparameter waren Schmerz und funktioneller Status, Nebenwirkungen wurden als sekundärer Ergebnisparameter erfasst. Die Studien wurden von allen drei Autoren unabhängig voneinander untersucht. Dabei wurden die Effektmaße Mean Difference (MD) oder Standard Mean Difference (SMD) mit einem 95%igen Konfidenzintervall ermittelt. Um die Qualität der Evidenz zu bewerten, wurde das GRADE-Verfahren (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) genutzt. 
  
  Ergebnisse
  Es wurden 299 Studien identifiziert, von denen 18 näher geprüft wurden. Drei Studien erfüllten die Einschlusskriterien. Es bestand eine moderate Qualität der Evidenz, dass die osteopathische Behandlung bei chronischen Nackenschmerzen zu einer signifikanten und klinisch relevanten Schmerzerleichterung (MD, −13,04; 95% CI, −20,64 zu −5,44) und zu einer nicht signifikanten Verbesserung des funktionellen Status (SMD, −0,38; 95% CI, −0,88 zu 0,11) führte. 
  
  Schlussfolgerung
  Die Metaanalyse weist auf eine klinisch relevante Schmerzerleichterung bei Patienten mit chronischen, unspezifischen Nackenschmerzen hin. Angesichts der kleinen Fallzahl, der unterschiedlichen Vergleichsgruppen, der geringen Studienzahl und dem Fehlen von Langzeitergebnissen wären größere, qualitativ hochwertige, randomisierte klinische Studien wünschenswert.