Wild growth of osteopaths?

Association of Osteopaths deplores wild growth in the industry

05/10/2012

The alternative medical treatment of osteopathy enjoys growing popularity in Germany. Since the profession of the osteopath in this country is not yet recognized and there is no professional law to ensure uniformly regulated training and practice standards, is a veritable „Wild growth“ to observe the osteopathy offers, explained the lawyer of the Association of Osteopaths of Germany (VDO), Dr. med. Sylke Wagner, on the occasion of the 15th International Osteopathic Congress of the VOD in Weimar.

At a press conference in the run-up to the VOD congress, which started today, the association's lawyer was unenthusiastic in view of the current development in osteopathy offers. As a result of the strong increase in demand for this alternative treatment method, it is difficult to be transparent „Wild growth in the offers.“ The statutory health insurances, which increasingly offer osteopathy as additional services, also contribute to this, explained the legal expert of the VOD at the start of the international congress with around 400 participants from 14 countries. The head of the association of the VOD, Marina Fuhrmann, therefore demanded a state quality assurance for osteopathy on the basis of a corresponding professional law, which stipulates binding educational standards.

Osteopathy: treatment with the hands
As a treatment method of alternative medicine, osteopathy is based exclusively on the treatment with the hands. It is used primarily for the treatment of dysfunctions of the skeletal and musculoskeletal system. Special grip techniques are used to solve existing blockages. In addition to the musculoskeletal disorders, however, other problems such as dizziness, incontinence or heartburn based on osteopathy can sometimes be successfully treated. To date, however, the effectiveness of the treatment method in the professional world is controversial. The German Medical Association came to the conclusion in a review of osteopathic procedures in 2009 that reasonably reliable statements on efficacy are only available in a few clinical pictures. This applies, for example, to chronic pain syndromes of the spine or chronic back pain. The question of osteopathy is mainly from people with long medical history, who were unsuccessfully treated conventional medicine, explained VOD President Marina Fuhrmann.

Health insurance complicity in the proliferation of osteopaths
In view of the proven success of osteopathic treatments, the costs are now also covered by a number of statutory health insurances (SHI). For example, the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) and some company health insurance funds bear the costs of osteopathic therapy under certain conditions. The problem of „sprawl“ The offer of osteopathy, however, is further aggravated by the completely uneven quality criteria for the reimbursement of health insurance funds, explained the association's lawyer. Sylke Wagner. Here we urgently need uniform standards. However, there are also positive developments from the increased demand for osteopathy. For example, the president of the State Medical Association of Thuringia, Matthias Wesser, explains that parts of osteopathy are already being integrated into medical education and training, for example, with physicians specializing in physical and rehabilitative medicine. For patients, this extension to the alternative medical treatment concept is certainly a gain. (Fp)

Also read about osteopathy:
Health insurance reimbursed osteopathy treatment
What is osteopathy

Picture credits: Thomas Siepmann