The roots of chaos: the problem with theoretical understanding in osteopathy

Osteopathy is categorized as complementary and alternative medicine. It is a profession which is presentin most countries, with a variety of practices and regulations. While it is sometimes integrated withinother disciplines of manual therapy, such as physiotherapy, unlike the latter, osteopathy continues to be based on philosophical principles that shape its identity, anchoring it to the 19th century. However, theseosteopathic tenets do not meet the criteria of representativeness and truthfulness and thus, cannot coexist with a science-based medical practice. This commentary analyzes the underlying theoretical principles that dictate osteopathic care, its deficiencies and weaknesses and why they might place osteopathy in the realm of pseudoscience