Osteopathy and evidence-based practice- getting there, but challenges still ahead
Whilst NOT perfect (and continually under evolution and refinement- e.g. Greenhalgh et al 2014), evidence-based practice (EBP) is the OPTIMAL and ETHICAL approach to clinical healthcare practice. The now familiar definition of EBP is the integration of best research evidence WITH clinical expertise AND patient values & preferences.. EBP was developed in the early 1980s,…
Read MoreWE TALKED evidence, WE SHARED ideas and experiences, WE QUESTIONED practice knowledge, WE PRESSURE-TESTED our own beliefs, HECK we even ATE Mrs Crimble’s macaroons…
WE TALKED evidence, WE SHARED ideas and experiences, WE QUESTIONED practice knowledge, WE PRESSURE-TESTED our own beliefs, WE SCRUTINISED our back pain language and HECK we even ATE some of Mrs Crimble’s finest macaroons… I really enjoyed the language & communication workshop on Sunday, lots of critical discussion, learning together, and coming up with…
Read MoreCPD Course on Effective language and communication when managing low back pain- how to help and not harm
CPD for musculoskeletal therapists Patients with back pain who consult a musculoskeletal healthcare professional expect and desire a diagnosis and information for their problem. However, the words we use to shape our responses and convey messages to patients in pain, have the potential to heal (facilitate recovery) or have the capacity to harm (delay or…
Read MoreYour back IS strong…even if you (or someone else) doesn’t think that it is
When we’re experiencing back pain is easy to feel that our spines are fragile and vulnerable to damage. It can really feel like any ‘wrong’ movement or position will be harmful to our backs. As a consequence, we often modify our behaviour and change how we move. For example, maybe you decide to skip a…
Read MoreEvidence-based practice in osteopathy- results from a UK national survey (and clearing things up!)
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is now considered to be the optimal (albeit imperfect- see here) approach to healthcare practice and decision-making- and all healthcare professionals from art therapists to doctors should be adopting an evidence-based approach. Unfortunately, over the years, EBP has been misinterpreted as ‘EXCLUSIVELY applying research’ or ‘all patients receive the SAME algorithmic treatment…
Read More“I should be glowing not aching!”- The facts about low back pain during pregnancy
I was recently invited to write a guest blog for social group Hampstead Mums, on the causes, risk factors and treatment options for pregnancy-related low back pain. A real dampener during pregnancy I see lots of mums-to-be in clinic experiencing back pain, and it can be a real dampener on their pregnancy experience. Low back…
Read MoreLow back pain: To scan, or not to scan? That is the question
Many of my osteopathy patients with low back pain (LBP) often ask me whether or not a scan is required, but the decision to scan is not always straight forward, so let’s clear a few things up. Firstly, there are several different types of scanning procedures used to investigate back pain, we’ll focus on…
Read More