Osteopathy for Babies

DM addict

Akrasia wrote: »

Osteopathy is for whatever ails ya

Just like this jar of snake oil.

It's not based on any science, and it's just as effective as every other fake treatment that also have loads of testimonials from people who believe they worked for them.

Those Amber necklaces that magically cure teething problems
Kineseology tape
Teetha homoeopathic teething gel.

They're all based on the same principle. Confirmation bias.
In all of these things, the underlying condition is one that gets better all by itself. People use the treatment, and then all of a sudden, the condition gets better. But the treatment did nothing

Reflux is normal. Loads of babies have it to various degrees. Serious reflux that prevents the baby from gaining weight, or if there are other warning signs like blood traces in the vomit or if it's causing excessive discomfort to the baby, then this might require medical attention from a real doctor. Going to a fake doctor (Homeopath, chiropractor or osteopath) instead of a real doctor could put your child at risk.

Thanks Akrasia - I was aware of the lack of evidence. I guess I was wondering how osteopaths/advocates *claimed* it works. Because it doesn't even sound like something that makes basic charlatan levels of sense.

Incidentally, here in USA osteopathy is totally different, as it's a branch of actual medicine; what's practiced in Europe would be illegal here. Ho Hum.

Gordy6040

Actually, I think the purpose of the tape is more to try and hold a ligament or something like that in place. No one's claiming sticky tape has magical powers. I've seen Physio's use it as well for injurys like runners knee or where the IT band is moving over a spur in the knee and causing inflamation. That's how it was explained to me anyway.

Akrasia

Gordy6040 wrote: »

Actually, I think the purpose of the tape is more to try and hold a ligament or something like that in place. No one's claiming sticky tape has magical powers. I've seen Physio's use it as well for injurys like runners knee or where the IT band is moving over a spur in the knee and causing inflamation. That's how it was explained to me anyway.

Physios use strapping and tape to give support to muscles and joints but this is different to the 'applied kinesiology' tape that has been in fashion recently.

Kinesiology is the study of human motion and this is part of a chartered physiotherapists medical training. Applied kinesiology is a pseudoscience, and it is offered by some physiotherapists for the same reasons that pharmacists offer homeopathy products in their shops.

Gordy6040

Ok. I stand corrected on that, I thought it was a support tape.

Akrasia

Gordy6040 wrote: »

Ok. I stand corrected on that, I thought it was a support tape.

So did I until I looked it up.

That's where all these pseudo-sciences hide. They masquerade as something that makes sense and then make no effort at all to inform the public about how it's actually supposed to work


Homeopathy is hiding in amongst 'herbal medicine'
The majority of people who take homeopathy don't realise that it's just water (or dehydrated water if it's in powder form)
They presume that it's a herbal medicine, and who's to blame them, they often list herbs and plants as their 'active ingredient'

Chiropractors trade on people confusing them for physiotherapists. For many many people, a chiropractor is a back doctor with just as much legitimacy as a chiropodist as a foot doctor. They presume that chiropractors are practising medicine and are medically trained, but in reality, they're practising witchcraft and sometimes give a medical treatment by accident (chiropractors often give massages that are superficially similar to deep tissue massages but these are not related to chiropractic theory. You're much better off going to a physiotherapist for your sports massage because he/she have a better understanding of the best scientifically demonstrable treatments to speed up recovery.)

Osteopaths confuse people by having a scientifically sounding name. 'Osteo' is a medical prefix that relates to bones and the skeletal system and then they describe themselves as 'manual medicine' which is just another word for poking and jabbing at people randomly until they go away. They start off by saying 'we treat bones and joints', which is plausible enough because they do manipulations of bones and joints, but they tag on 'and any other condition' like asthma or collic or reflux for babies as per the OP of this thread.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/the-lay-scientist/2011/jun/15/2

It's actually a total disgrace that Osteopaths and Chiropractors and Homeopaths are allowed to call themselves 'Dr' in this country.