A Retrospective Analysis of 190 Patients With Scoliosis Referred to a Private Australian Clinical Advisory Service Between 2017 and 2020.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with scoliosis from Australian primary care practices.

Methods: A retrospective review of 190 patient records from August 2017 to April 2020 from a private Australian clinical advisory service database was performed. Deidentified demographic and clinical data were collated and analyzed, along with information regarding the referring practitioners and any accompanying clinical or paraclinical information.

The use of respiratory patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in the management of COPD: Perceptions of Australian osteopaths.

Background: Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) are widely used to capture patients' perspectives of their health status and treatment outcomes and to enable practitioners to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. The aim of this study was to explore Australian osteopaths' perceptions of the use of respiratory PROMS in the management of chronic lung conditions.

Methods: This study drew on the social ecological model (SEM), which highlights the interdependence of contextual structures and processes.

Building an evidence base for osteopathy: Trials and tensions. A qualitative study of the experience of clinicians engaging in research.

Background: Engaging in clinical research includes confronting challenges about the uncertainty around outcomes and ramifications the results may have on practice. This is pertinent for osteopathy where little is known about the experiences of osteopaths involved in clinical trials. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experience of osteopaths who participated in a randomised controlled trial for infantile colic.

The Long-Term Benefit of Exercise With and Without Manual Therapy for Mild Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by decreasing exercise capacity and deteriorating quality of life (QoL). Recent evidence indicates that combining exercise with manual therapy (MT) delivers greater improvements in exercise capacity than exercise alone in moderate COPD. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this combination delivers similar results in mild COPD.

Factors that influence the scope of practice of the chiropractic profession in Australia: a thematic analysis.

Scope of practice has been defined as the activities that an individual health care practitioner is allowed to undertake within a specific profession. The chiropractic profession in Australia does not currently have a documented scope of practice. Informed discussions around scope of practice are hampered by a paucity of literature in this area.

Osteopathy Referrals to and from General Practitioners: Secondary Analysis of Practitioner Characteristics from an Australian Practice-Based Research Network.

Australian osteopaths engage in multidisciplinary care and referrals with other health professionals, including general practitioners (GPs), for musculoskeletal care. This secondary analysis compared characteristics of Australian osteopaths who refer to, and receive referrals from, GPs with osteopaths who do not refer. The analysis was undertaken to identify pertinent characteristics that could contribute to greater engagement between Australian osteopaths and GPs.

Reporting of adverse events associated with spinal manipulation in randomised clinical trials: an updated systematic review.

Objectives: To describe if there has been a change in the reporting of adverse events associated with spinal manipulation in randomised clinical trials (RCTs) since 2016.

Design: A systematic literature review.

Data Sources: Databases were searched from March 2016 to May 2022: MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, CINAHL, ICL, PEDro and Cochrane Library.

The step in time study: A feasibility study of a mobile app for measuring walking ability after massage treatment in patients with osteoarthritis.

Background: Massage therapy is a popular intervention for those suffering osteoarthritis, however, there is a paucity of evidence to support its effectiveness in osteoarthritis. A simple measure that could potentially assess the benefits of massage treatment is walking speed which is a predictor of mobility and survival length, particularly in ageing populations. The primary aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of using a phone app to measure walking ability in people with osteoarthritis.

Osteopathy in rural and remote Australia: analysis of demographic, practice and clinical management characteristics from a nationally representative sample of 992 osteopaths.

Introduction: There is significant interest in allied health and the role it plays in health care for rural and remote populations. In Australia, osteopaths are allied health professionals who manage predominantly musculoskeletal complaints using manual therapy, exercise and patient education. Workforce distribution is a significant issue for osteopathy in Australia with most practitioners centred in the metropolitan regions of Victoria and New South Wales.

Induced leg length inequality affects pelvis orientation during upright standing immediately following a sit-to-stand transfer: a pre-post measurement study.

Background: Leg length inequality (LLI) greater than 20 mm has been associated with low back pain (LBP) and its correction is clinically recommended. Much less is known about the biomechanical effects that LLI below 15 mm has on pelvis orientation.

Methods: Twenty-two adult participants (8 female) aged between 18 and 30 years without LBP were enrolled in the study and completed a series of sit-to-stand trials with no heel-lift (0 mm baseline) and heel-lifts of varying heights (5, 9 and 12 mm) placed in their right shoe.

Factors that influence scope of practice of the five largest health care professions in Australia: a scoping review.

Introduction: A well-functioning health system delivers quality services to all people when and where they need them. To help navigate the complex realm of patient care, it is essential that health care professions have a thorough understanding of their scope of practice. However, a lack of uniformity regarding scope of practice across the regulated health professions in Australia currently exists.

Predictors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in women who have never smoked: a cohort study.

COPD is responsible for an increasing number of deaths worldwide. Smoking is the most reliable predictor for developing COPD later in life. However, women make up the majority of patients with COPD who have never smoked.

Factors that influence scope of practice of the chiropractic profession in Australia: a scoping review.

Introduction: The World Health Organization describes chiropractic as a health profession that treats the musculoskeletal system and the effects of that system on the function of the nervous system and general health. Notwithstanding such descriptions, scope of practice remains a contentious issue in Australia chiropractic with various authors defining it differently. To date, the peak governing body, the Chiropractic Board of Australia, has focused on title protection rather than defining a scope of practice for the profession.

The global summit on the efficacy and effectiveness of spinal manipulative therapy for the prevention and treatment of non-musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review of the literature.

Background: A small proportion of chiropractors, osteopaths, and other manual medicine providers use spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) to manage non-musculoskeletal disorders. However, the efficacy and effectiveness of these interventions to prevent or treat non-musculoskeletal disorders remain controversial.

Objectives: We convened a Global Summit of international scientists to conduct a systematic review of the literature to determine the efficacy and effectiveness of SMT for the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of non-musculoskeletal disorders.

COVID-19: how has a global pandemic changed manual therapy technique education in chiropractic programs around the world?

Background: Manual therapy is a cornerstone of chiropractic education, whereby students work towards a level of skill and expertise that is regarded as competent to work within the field of chiropractic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, chiropractic programs in every region around the world had to make rapid changes to the delivery of manual therapy technique education, however what those changes looked like was unknown.

Aims: The aims of this study were to describe the immediate actions made by chiropractic programs to deliver education for manual therapy techniques and to summarise the experience of academics who teach manual therapy techniques during the initial outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

The Hypothesis of Biotensegrity and D. D. Palmer's Hypothesis on Tone: A Discussion of Their Alignment.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to compare D. D. Palmer's hypothesis of tone with the modern hypothesis of biotensegrity.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Manual Therapy Service Utilization within the Australian Private Healthcare Setting.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted a wide range of health services. This study aimed to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on manual therapy service utilization within the Australian private healthcare setting during the first half of 2020. Quarterly data regarding the number and total cost of services provided were extracted for each manual therapy profession (i.

Service utilisation trends in the manual therapy professions within the Australian private healthcare setting between 2008 and 2017.

Background: Better understanding of the dynamics and temporal changes in manual therapy service utilisation may assist with healthcare planning and resource allocation. The objectives of this study were to quantify, describe, and compare service utilisation trends in the manual therapy professions within the Australian private healthcare setting between 2008 and 2017.

Methods: Data regarding the number of services, total cost, and benefits paid were extracted for each manual therapy profession (i.

Prevalence and profile of Australian osteopaths treating older people.

Objectives: To explore the characteristics of the Australian osteopathy workforce who participate in the management of older patients with musculoskeletal complaints.

Design: Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey of osteopaths.

Setting: The Osteopathy Research and Innovation Network (ORION), an Australian practice-based research network.

The effect of manual therapy and exercise on age-related lung function: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Ageing is associated with a range of anatomical and physiological changes. Establishing whether a change is part of 'normal' ageing or the early signs of disease will affect management strategies. Progressive stiffening of the thoracic spine, decreasing chest wall compliance and declining lung function begin as early as 40 years of age.

Themes Underlying Australian General Practitioner Views towards Chiropractic and Osteopathy: An Assessment of Free Text Data from a Cross-Sectional Survey.

The Australian chiropractic and osteopathic professions underwent a period of significant transformation between 1960 and 2000. This resulted in an improvement in the views held by the medical profession towards the two professions. However, a recent survey of Australian general practitioners (GPs) reported that a number of GPs still hold negative views towards chiropractors and osteopaths.

The effect of combining manual therapy with exercise for mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of disability and hospital admission. Current management strategies have not been successful in altering the loss of lung function typically seen as the disease progresses. A recent systematic review into the use of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) in the management of COPD concluded that there was low level evidence to support the view that a combination of SMT and exercise had the potential to improve lung function more than exercise alone in people with moderate to severe COPD.