Investigating the current published literature where osteopathic manual therapy is used as an intervention: A scoping review

Background and objective

Research is a fundamental component of evidence-based practice. This scoping review will explore what peer reviewed empirical studies have been published between January 2010–March 2021 where osteopathic manual therapy (OMT) is used as an intervention. A deeper understanding of what research comprises the osteopathic body of literature may support osteopaths in their clinical decision making process.

Methods

A 5-stage scoping review framework was followed. Finalised search terms were applied to four databases: PubMed, ScienceDirect, EBSCO and BASE. Reference lists of yielded articles were checked until evidence saturation occurred. Extraction fields included author, year of publication, study population and sample size, methodology, intervention, and comparator. Articles were also grouped into 10 broad categories based on the overarching topic of exploration.

Results

A total of 292 studies were included for review, 189 studies were determined as quantitative research with three qualitative and one mixed methods study. The remaining studies comprised 78 case report/case series and 24 systematic reviews. Musculoskeletal, neurological and paediatric categories made up 64% of the total literature.

Conclusion

The osteopathic literature is largely dominated by quantitative research. Yielded studies covered a range of topics. However, the number of isolated research publications gives a fragmented impression of the literature and research gaps suggest inconsistent coverage in some areas. Osteopathic research may benefit from a more considered research agenda where research is methodically generated to fill contextual gaps in the literature.