Osteopathy in Supportive Oncology Care: A Narrative Review of Mechanisms and Potential Roles

Abstract

Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world as patients often face physical, emotional, and psychological problems during and after treatment. Oncology supportive care is supposed to improve the quality of life, reduce symptoms, and supplement traditional cancer treatments. Osteopathy, a type of manual therapy that relies on the concepts of body unity, self-healing, and structure-function interaction, has become a promising treatment method as a form of complementary medicine in integrative oncology. This narrative review investigates the action and possible functioning of osteopathy in supportive cancer care by integrating the evidence provided by recent research and theoretical models.

The review identifies some important biological processes by which the application of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) can be useful to oncology patients, such as the improvement of lymphatic drainage, the work of the autonomic nervous system, the decrease in musculoskeletal tension, and the performance of immune and neuroendocrine systems. Psychological processes, including stress reduction, anxiety and depression alleviation, and improvement of the therapeutic alliance between the patient and the practitioner, were also determined. There is some evidence that osteopathy may help manage such symptoms of cancer, such as pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and lack of mobility, to improve the overall well-being of patients.

Despite the possibility of these benefits, the current evidence is still short of small samples and the absence of methodological homogeneity. The safety, efficacy, and integration strategies that are to be implemented in the oncology care team would have to be established through clinical trials and standardized treatment procedures. In this review, it has been established that osteopathy holds great potential as a patient-centred, non-invasive supportive therapy that offers holistic care and improves the quality of life of cancer patients.