What Is Wrong with Osteopathy? A Response to Thomson and MacMillan

Date
2023-11
Authors
Nicholls, David A
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
Degree name
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Abstract

Thomson and MacMillan's paper What's wrong with osteopathy? has understandably caused some consternation within the profession. In this commentary I want to support the intent of their argument, but also suggest they do not go far enough. Western healthcare is entering a post-professional era which will profoundly affect every profession's identity and social purpose. The effects of late capitalism on the atomisation of the body, the unbundling of goodness and expertise, and the transformative effects of digital technologies are not commonly discussed issues in osteopathy, but they are becoming central concerns for any profession looking to adapt to future healthcare. In this essay, I briefly outline the challenges of post-professionalism and explore some of the reactions we have already seen in other professions like physiotherapy. Four response archetypes are identified: watching and waiting, a modern heritage approach, professional renaissance, and hybrid professionalism that, I argue, lies behind Thomson and MacMillan's proposition. All four of these approaches are shown to have significant limitations, so the paper ends with some suggestions for a direction that might be a better way forward for osteopathy.

Description
Keywords
42 Health Sciences , 4208 Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine , 1104 Complementary and Alternative Medicine , Orthopedics , 4208 Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine
Source
International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, ISSN: 1746-0689 (Print), Elsevier BV, 100694-100694. doi: 10.1016/j.ijosm.2023.100694
Rights statement
Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in (see Citation). Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. The definitive version was published in (see Citation). The original publication is available at (see Publisher's Version).