Osteopathic concepts of somatic dysfunction : update from the current available research.
Item
- Title
- Osteopathic concepts of somatic dysfunction : update from the current available research.
- Author(s)
- Pichaud, T
- Abstract
- Background No current studies, to the author’s knowledge, have evaluated historical osteopathic concepts of Somatic Dysfunction. Objective The aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of osteopathic manual therapy and the physiological mechanisms involved. The objective is to answer the following research question: are the classical osteopathic concepts of somatic dysfunction still valid according to the latest scientific research? Design A structured literature review. Method A systematic search was conducted using the ScienceDirect, PubMed and Google Scholar databases to identify relevant studies. The titles, abstracts and main body were screened and studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected. The selected studies were then critically evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools and the author’s own criteria. Results Prolonged hypertonicity or muscular pain can lead to local acidification of the concerned hypertonic muscular tissue. This decrease of pH can be responsible for the creation of a vicious loop as the origin of the persistency of the hypertonicity and, consequently, of the pain. Furthermore, the upkeep of nociceptor activity sensitizes dorsal horn neurons causing receptive field expansion and a facilitated response to noxious and non-noxious stimulations. The 'Brussels' model, based on the Cinderella fibers hypothesis, indicates that muscular hypertonicity is strongly related to the fatigability of type I muscle fibers, the main role of which corresponds to postural activity. This is challenged by the 'Shift' model, suggesting an energy crisis happening in postural skeletal muscles, based on the fact that within these muscles, motor units are recruited in rotation, and factors such as increased muscle load and decreased muscle force could lead to shortened motor unit relaxation periods. Discussion The latest scientific research brings an essential opening to the understanding of the osteopathic holistic principle. The convergence of all sensory inputs into the CNS, such as from proprioceptors, nociceptors, etc., suggests a complementary approach that can be used alongside other common models of treatment like the muscular, neurological, vascular and fascial approaches. The body as a whole appears to be emerging from the CNS, therefore it should no longer be a principle of theory, but rather a reality that must be integrated into the osteopathic practice. It seems interesting to perceive osteopathic treatment as a global proprioceptive reset in the manner of a computer reset. Conclusion Korr and Van Burskirk models no longer appear as opposing concepts but rather as complementary models, each describing a facet of 'Brussels' and 'Shift' model while specifically explaining one of the vectors of the creation of somatic dysfunction. In the end, they converge on an increased muscle tone, and these results are additional arguments to the theory of Still, which, in his time, attributed to muscular contractures, the responsibility for all diseases.
- presented at
- European School of Osteopathy
- Date Accepted
- 2019
- Date Submitted
- 19.11.2019 18:31:09
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 16507
- Inst-Identifier
- 1229
- Keywords
- Somatic dysfunction, Musculoskeletal disorders, Osteopathic concepts.
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Pichaud, T, “Osteopathic concepts of somatic dysfunction : update from the current available research.”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.osteopathicresearch.com/s/orw/item/322