THE INFLUENCE OF OSTEOPATHY ON PHYSIOTHERAPY: NEW TIMES

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION:
In Spain, there are more and more physiotherapists that dare to embark on a journey to find new knowledge about osteopathy.

GOALS:
To analyze the frequency with which physiotherapists carry out osteopathy studies. To find out the opinion of the interviewees in regard to osteopathy as a way of working for physiotherapists.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:
The sample included 52 chartered physiotherapists of Andalucia’s Illustrious Official College of Physiotherapy. A survey was elaborated, composed of very simple questions about osteopathy and physiotherapy, with the objective of finding out the subjects’ opinions and the importance that osteopathy had in their daily work as healthcare professionals. Microsoft Excel 2003 was used to analyze the results.

RESULTS:
75 % of the sample’s individuals have attended or are attending an osteopathy course (30 men and 12 women); 85.7% of the women and 71.42% of the men. 94.6% consider osteopathy to be an important element in physiotherapy, whilst 5,35% do not.

ARGUMENT:
Despite the great majority (94,.6%) considering osteopathy as an important component of physiotherapy, the results of question 5 (7.2 points) reveals another indicator. Osteopathic treatment cannot always be performed in clinical practice, depending on the type of pathology or injury and above all, the characteristics of the patient; since in a geriatric or neurological patient, we it will be very difficult to carry out osteopathic techniques.

CONCLUSIONS:
There is a high index of physiotherapists who study or have studied some kind of osteopathy study program. Osteopathy constitutes an important work tool for physiotherapists, and is complementary to physiotherapy.