Osteopathy Australia news

Combating the osteopath stereotypes

The following article featuring Dr Brett Wiener appeared in TheAge on 23 February 2023

Stereotypes and misconceptions abound about all professions, but when you dig a little deeper you find they’re usually way off the mark.

Are they unqualified quacks waving their hands over you in a woo-woo kind of way? Practitioners of some borderline witchcraft on the very fringes of science-denying alternative healing?

For Australia’s osteopaths, they’ve had their fair share of misinterpretations over the years. “There have been a lot of conclusions drawn based on a few bad eggs and therefore, the profession as a whole has been put into this basket,” says Osteopathy Australia board member Dr Brett Wiener of the idea that osteopaths are not “real” healthcare professionals.

Osteopathy Australia is the national peak body in Australia representing osteopaths, consumers of osteopathy and promoting osteopaths’ role in allied primary healthcare.

Whether you’ve fallen for the misconceptions, or simply don’t quite understand what an osteopath actually does, Wiener says the first thing people need to know is that osteopaths are highly trained, registered and regulated.

“We are university educated, we have in-depth medical knowledge and are exceptionally well-trained across different modalities of healthcare. We always follow best evidence and best practice,” he explains.

If you’re wondering what they do, broadly speaking, osteopathy helps reduce pain and discomfort.

“We listen and take time for a thorough diagnosis. Our point of difference is that we provide effective hands-on techniques and have a whole-person approach,” says Wiener, who also has his own healthcare business in bayside Melbourne, The Sports and Spinal Group.

Most other health professions are sort of rushing people in and out the door, they’re under an extreme amount of time pressure, and they don’t take the opportunity to listen and learn about the whole person,” he says.

It’s why they find that once patients “step into a space with a trusted, well-educated practitioner” rapport builds quickly and patients become very loyal.

Osteopaths focus largely on musculoskeletal conditions, so deal with issues such as chronic lower back pain, osteopaths can massage, mobilise and manipulate joints, plus offer therapeutic needling techniques, such as dry needling or trigger point therapy, clinical Pilates or exercise rehabilitation in a gym setting.

Wiener points out that their training also covers pharmacology, cardiovascular and respiratory health, and psychology, which means they can provide “emotional and psychological support, not just musculoskeletal support” to their patients, which can be especially useful to those in chronic pain.

Whether you’re a newborn or a 90-year-old, osteopaths can help, although depending on where you are along the lifespan will completely change the management and skill used in treatment.

“We don’t support or perform aggressive manipulative techniques to babies,” Wiener neck pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune conditions.

“We deal with fibromyalgia and other sorts of complex, muscular and joint problems; postural concerns with ergonomics,” Wiener says, “and then the healthy individual that wants to get stronger and maintain their health.”

Similar in a lot of ways to physiotherapists and chiropractors, assures, adding that specialty training is required to see paediatric patients. Often, he says osteopaths will be working in a team environment, collaborating with other health specialists such as paediatricians, GPs or OTs.

Whatever reason it is that brings you through their door, Wiener says osteopaths will always “draw on the best clinical evidence available to make assessments on how to best manage a patient”.

Notes from the Association

ANTONY NICHOLAS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, OSTEOPATHY AUSTRALIA

Over the past several months, Osteopathy Australia’s Board and Executive have been reflecting on what makes an effective association.

As the outside world, spiralling inflation, the needs of the profession, the benefits and impact of digitalisation or innovation, plus what other efficiencies can occur. We must always look to an optimised future, and we must stay up to date. How do we make sure our staff, our services, our partners, or other offerings meet the needs of the breadth of the profession, while accepting we cannot meet all individuals’ needs.

The world of business and associations is ever-changing, forcing us to change certain aspects of our business to remain effective, useful and relevant. A dynamic association looks to common external factors that encourage reform and internal factors which we can be more controllable. The aim is always to optimise member services.

In April, Nicholas Bradshaw, our Deputy CEO moved on after six years working with us. Nick was instrumental in helping steer Osteopathy Australia through many operational and strategic challenges for which we thank him. He is currently rewarding himself by trekking in Nepal.

Our strategic plan remains focused on four strategic pillars – supporting members, benefiting consumers, leading the profession and capacity to deliver. To better deliver on those we have changed some roles and created three new roles. Each new role is directly aligned with our strategic plan.

Many of you already know Leng Warwar. Leng’s remit now covers Membership and Operations Manager to focus on driving strategies around membership, membership services, learning and development, IT and overall operational efficiency.

Rebekka Thompson-Jones, Communications and Marketing Manager – to transform how we promote osteopathy, raise awareness, particularly among consumers who know nothing or have never seen an osteopath, our website and internal communications with you.

Policy and Advocacy Manager – to increase our lobbying, advocacy and policy work with our current team members and stakeholders. Our advocacy work is incredibly broad, complex and often listed as a key reason why osteopaths join Osteopathy Australia – the informed voice for the profession. This role is currently being recruited. Please share this opportunity with your network.

We understand every osteopath and every business is going through challenging times economically, socially, financially and with the changing workforce dynamic. This is the same for Osteopathy Australia and yet we still focus every day on our vision of osteopathy being a central part of primary healthcare in Australia. To support our members, educate the community and be the professional voice for osteopathy.

Combating stereotypes and promoting osteopathy

Over the past year Osteopathy Australia has been focused on understanding how to engage consumers. Not consumers who already use osteopathy (as data shows they have a better understanding and trust of the profession) but the majority of Australians who know very little or have never seen an osteopath.

We are also going to run some education sessions on this over the coming months to help members understand some of our tactics but also what to avoid in their own promotions. Some of the results will be a bit confronting.

We know most new patients come from word-of-mouth; very few choose osteopathy randomly without prior knowledge, a friendly or professional referral. How do we and you then attract new patients, beyond word of mouth?

The consumer targeted sentiment research assesses what consumers understand, what the assume, what their perspectives are and their likes or dislikes. This research focused on those who have used osteopathy and most importantly those who have not. Sadly, what it showed was some rather stark realities, particularly among consumers who don’t know much about osteopathy or have never seen an osteopath. They more frequently assumed osteopaths were unqualified, untrustworthy and, worse, potentially dangerous.

Around 30% of respondents had never heard of or if they did, didn’t know what you do. Another 38% said they knew a little but have never seen an osteopath. That is a huge proportion of the Australian public as potential customers.

From consumer sentiment and other research, we know that osteopathy appointment length is often 20-50% longer than other colleagues and was a determining factor in why people chose osteopathy – taking the time to listen. We also understand that considering the whole person is a real positive, even if calling it holistic may not be!

The good news is, once people have seen an osteopath that can change dramatically… but we need to get them in the door first!

So, partly The Age article (page 6) is to capture interest, but also to address some of those misconceptions even if it may appear a tad brutal for osteopaths.

It’s important to remember promotion of osteopathy does not target osteopaths It’s not going to necessarily capture what is most important to you. The aim is to use the research to promote osteopathy in a way that engages new consumers, who know very little, by focusing on the things that interest them most. That way more consumers will try osteopathy for the first time.