Limitations of osteopathy

Osteopathy is not a cure-all. Its limits are reached where the body's self-healing capacities are no longer sufficient for recovery.

Osteopathy is not emergency medicine and cannot provide life-saving intervention in a medical emergency. Serious and acute illnesses must first receive conventional medical care.

Where structures have been damaged, for example by fractures, injuries or wounds, these too must first receive conventional medical care.

Mental illnesses are outside the scope of an osteopath’s practice.

In the case of infections, such as bacterial inflammation, attempting to restore movement is not appropriate, as the infection could spread through the body.

Where foreign bodies are present in the body (for example, an intrauterine device) or deposits such as kidney or gallstones, manual treatment may cause pain or even internal injury. At the same time, factors that may have contributed to stone formation should be considered; where appropriate, factors that impede drainage may be reduced.

A thorough medical history (anamnesis) before osteopathic treatment is therefore very important. The osteopath needs to know what complaints the patient has and which illnesses they have had. Findings from clinical diagnostics, such as X-rays or laboratory results, are often needed. They help the osteopath assess the limits of what they can offer. If those limits are reached, the patient will be referred to a specialist physician or therapist.

Osteopathy is therefore not an alternative to conventional medicine, but a form of medicine that can complement it.