Osteopaths, views and experiences of clinical models supporting the diagnosis of somatic dysfunction; a qualitative inquiry
Item
- Title
- Osteopaths, views and experiences of clinical models supporting the diagnosis of somatic dysfunction; a qualitative inquiry
- Author(s)
- Gwilliam,D
- Abstract
- Introduction Previous studies on somatic dysfunction (SD) have focused on the definition of the phenomenon and how this changed with the transfer from osteopathic lesion to SD. The use of SD as a diagnosis has been recognized by the World Health Organisation as underpinning osteopathic practise. The aim of this small-scale study was to gather the opinions of those within the osteopathic profession on how this construct is used in a clinical setting. Method Osteopaths who had previously demonstrated an opinion on the subject were purposively sampled and engaged in semi-structured interviews; these interviews were then transcribed verbatim. Following this, the data was analyzed using a thematic analysis approach, with themes and subthemes coded accordingly. A conceptual model was subsequently developed. Results 14 osteopaths took part and data saturation was reached after 8 interviews. Three main themes with ten subthemes were identified. The three key themes were; rationale, research and patient centeredness. The sub- themes were; Justification, model of practice, generational differences, criteria, ideological (research naïve), pragmatic (research lead), basic science supported, research approach, unique selling point and ethical. An emergence of two main groups was induced: those that were patient focused and those driven by ego that felt they provided a unique selling point. Discussion There are a number of theoretical determinants for SD which often fails reliable cross-examination. It is postulated that SD may be attributed to an abnormal asymmetrical muscle spasm or subsequent abnormal anatomical positioning, affecting range of movement. However the results of this study showed that SD was considered a ‘catch-all’ term which defines osteopathy with a unique selling point (USP). This conflicted with another group of research-led participants lead who felt this was not patient-centred and potentially ego driven. Conclusion The research showed that the term SD and its application did not fully reflect the available literature. The two groups of themes, one based primarily on ideology and the other on pragmatism, showed conflicting clinical reasoning. It highlighted that those invested in pragmatism put the patient at the fore of their practice life and those based in ideology put professional identity and ego at the fore.
- presented at
- European School of Osteopathy
- Date Accepted
- 2014
- Date Submitted
- 20.1.2015 16:43:40
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 15497
- Inst-Identifier
- 1229
- Keywords
- Somatic Dysfunction, Diagnosis
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Gwilliam,D, “Osteopaths, views and experiences of clinical models supporting the diagnosis of somatic dysfunction; a qualitative inquiry”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 17, 2024, https://www.osteopathicresearch.com/s/orw/item/667