Osteopathic Care as (En)active Inference: A Theoretical Framework for Developing an Integrative Hypothesis in...

Area of Science:

• Osteopathic medicine
• Neuroscience
• Cognitive science

Background:

• Osteopathy emphasizes the body's structure-function relationship for a whole-person approach.
• Current osteopathic practice lacks a unifying theoretical framework for its mechanisms.
• Enactivism and active inference offer novel perspectives on perception, action, and learning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose (En)active inference as a unifying theoretical framework for osteopathy.
• To explain the mechanisms underlying patient-practitioner interactions in osteopathic care.
• To explore the application of this framework across the lifespan and in chronic conditions.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis integrating enactivist and active inference principles.
• Conceptualization of osteopathic care as an active inference process.
• Examination of dyadic and triadic interactions within the patient-practitioner relationship.

Main Results:

• Osteopathic care can be understood as minimizing uncertainty through action-perception cycles.
• The patient-practitioner dyad forms a shared ecological niche, fostering therapeutic alliance and adaptation.
• Touch is crucial for regulating allostasis and homeostasis, particularly in pediatric osteopathy.

Conclusions:

• (En)active inference provides an integrative framework for osteopathy, applicable across the lifespan.
• This framework elucidates the mechanisms of therapeutic interactions and outcomes.
• The model has implications for clinical practice and research within and beyond osteopathy.