What Osteopathy Can Really Do – and Where Therapists Fail (Part 1)

Osteopathy is a manual therapy concept that views the body as a functional unit. The goal is to understand not just the symptom, but the biomechanical interconnections within the entire system.

In practice, this means: If you suffer from back pain, I don’t just examine your spine. I look at the pelvis, the alignment of the legs, and the mobility of the fascia. The connection to internal organs (visceral structures) and the diaphragm also plays a role, as tension in these areas can directly influence the biomechanics of the back. Through years of palpation training (sense of touch), we attempt to localize tension in muscles, bones, organs, and even the cranial area to find anatomical barriers.

That is the theory. However, I must look at it critically:

1. Lack of Scientific Precision

Precise, scientifically proven analyses are often lacking. Patients are therefore frequently dependent on what the therapist thinks, feels, or what personal experiences and biases they bring to the table.

2. Holism as a Theoretical Construct

The connections mentioned above often exist only in theory. In reality, it is questionable whether every tension in the pelvis truly affects the foot. I only work on your pelvis if I see and feel a mechanical asymmetry there—while walking, sitting, or standing. What is important to me: you must understand what I am doing and why.

3. The Ego of "Holism"

Osteopathy is not automatically holistic. Since conventional medicine does not force Osteopathy to be strictly evidence-based, many concepts can function without being proven. In my opinion, the term "holism" is often used for ego-driven reasons—to portray oneself as "special."

4. The Passive Trap

Osteopathy is primarily a passive form of treatment—the patient lies down and is treated. But passive treatment is only a small part of the long-term solution. Do you know someone who has to go to the osteopath every two weeks to have their ribs "cracked"? That is a sad reality. In such cases, I see a therapist whose treatment has failed.

Part 2: One Name, a Hundred Faces. Why Osteopathy isn't the same everywhere and what these international differences mean for you as a patient.