Pseudoscience: A skeleton in osteopathy's closet?

Abstract

Pseudoscience has harmful effects on individual patient care, professions and society more broadly. The propagation of pseudoscience and spread of misinformation by a healthcare discipline raises questions as to their legitimacy and ethical standing as a profession. Osteopaths and osteopathic physicians are regulated by law as healthcare professionals in many parts of the world with an expectation that relevant aspects of practice are suitably aligned with the scientific paradigm in the form of a commitment to the values of evidence-based practice. This article discusses the system of pseudoscience and considers its historic, present and potential negative impacts on osteopathy and professional progress. We identify possible incentives for some aspects of osteopathy and osteopaths to engage in pseudoscientific thinking and in doing so we discuss osteopathy's susceptibility to pseudoscience and how practitioners may become more aware of and recognise pseudoscientific information and pseudoexpertise.