National Council for Osteopathic Research

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National Council for Osteopathic Research

NCOR was founded in 2003 to unify parties involved in osteopathic research.

NCOR is dedicated to exploring and assuring the role that osteopathy has to play in healthcare. The National Council for Osteopathic Research (NCOR) was established in 2003 to provide leadership and unity in osteopathic research development. NCOR aims to improve the osteopathic evidence base by fostering research, increasing research capacity and capability within the osteopathic profession, and r

aising the profile of osteopathic and osteopathic relevant research findings. NCOR is a coalition of stakeholder organisations concerned with the quality of osteopathic patient care. The Council stakeholders are:

•the General Osteopathic Council,
•the British Osteopathic Association
•the Osteopathic Education Foundation
•the osteopathic educations institutions within the United Kingdom. The NCOR team:
NCOR Director: Dr Jerry Drap-Rodi
NCOR Research Officer: Dr Carol Fawkes

16/06/2026

🔬 NCOR Online Conference 2026 🔬

Join us this October for two half-days of research, clinical insight, and professional development designed for osteopaths and allied healthcare professionals.

🗓️ Friday 16 October 2026 | 13:30–17:30 BST
🗓️ Saturday 17 October 2026 | 08:30–12:30 BST

This year's programme features keynote presentations from:

🎤 Dr Siobhan Stynes (Keele University)
Exploring the current state of knowledge on sciatica, including triage, classification, examination, and management.

🎤 Dr Julie Ellwood (Health Sciences University)
Discussing tongue-tie assessment, treatment, and referral pathways.

You'll also hear about the latest osteopathic research through a curated showcase of current studies, helping clinicians stay up to date with emerging evidence and developments in practice.

🌍 Our online format keeps registration affordable while enabling participation from international speakers and delegates, making high-quality CPD accessible wherever you are.

NCOR-RN members will receive a discount code for tickets, if you are not already a member, you can join be completing the survey here: https://zurl.co/KQ8WC

Students can attend for free and recent graduates are eligible for a discounted ticket price.

📣 Abstract submissions are open until 30 June 2026.
Selected presenters will receive complimentary conference registration.

🎟️ Buy tickets: https://zurl.co/mvJXC
📋 Webpage: https://zurl.co/qU0UR

05/06/2026

📣Attention Final Year Students!🎓

Before you graduate, did you know that NCOR offers a range of free resources to support you as you start your career in osteopathy? 🎓

✅ Join the NCOR Research Network – free membership, free CPD events, and opportunities to get involved in clinically relevant research.

✅ Take part in NCOR Research Hubs – informal online sessions where you can discuss research, ask questions, and learn alongside colleagues from across the profession.

✅ Use PROMs in practice – a free tool to help you collect patient outcome data, support your CPD, and demonstrate the impact of your care.

🎟️ Plus, NCOR Online Conference 2026 is free for students, so you can book now and attend this October at no cost.

Whether you're interested in research, evidence-based practice, or simply staying connected with the profession, NCOR is here to support you from day one.

Find out more: https://zurl.co/Exiu7

02/06/2026

🔬 NCOR Online Conference 2026 🔬

Join us this October for two half-days of research, clinical insight, and professional development designed for osteopaths and allied healthcare professionals.

🗓️ Friday 16 October 2026 | 13:30–17:30 BST
🗓️ Saturday 17 October 2026 | 08:30–12:30 BST

This year's programme features keynote presentations from:

🎤 Dr Siobhan Stynes (Keele University)
Exploring the current state of knowledge on sciatica, including triage, classification, examination, and management.

🎤 Dr Julie Ellwood (Health Sciences University)
Discussing tongue-tie assessment, treatment, and referral pathways.

You'll also hear about the latest osteopathic research through a curated showcase of current studies, helping clinicians stay up to date with emerging evidence and developments in practice.

🌍 Our online format keeps registration affordable while enabling participation from international speakers and delegates, making high-quality CPD accessible wherever you are.

NCOR-RN members will receive a discount code for tickets, if you are not already a member, you can join be completing the survey here: https://zurl.co/kDVk1

Students can attend for free and recent graduates are eligible for a discounted ticket price.

📣 Abstract submissions are open until 30 June 2026.
Selected presenters will receive complimentary conference registration.

🎟️ Buy tickets: https://zurl.co/9EqVq
📋 Webpage: https://zurl.co/M5Jag

18/05/2026

New infographic from The BMJ https://zurl.co/u9YR0
offering practical guidance on assessing patients with pelvic girdle pain.

The resource highlights key considerations for clinical assessment, differential diagnosis, and recognising when further investigation or referral may be needed. A useful visual summary for healthcare professionals working in musculoskeletal care, primary care, women’s health, and rehabilitation.

Clear, accessible tools like this can help support evidence-informed assessment and patient-centred care.

15/05/2026

📚 Work-related MSK disorders (WMSD) remain one of the biggest occupational health challenges worldwide — and healthcare workers are among the most affected.

A new narrative review highlights that low back, neck, and shoulder pain are especially common in professions involving repetitive tasks, sustained postures, manual handling, and high workload demands. Healthcare workers report WMSD prevalence rates of 40–75%, with lower back pain the most common presentation.

Importantly, the review reinforces that risk is not just biomechanical.

🔍 Contributing factors include:
✅ Repetitive movement and forceful exertion
✅ Sustained or awkward postures
✅ High job demands and low job control
✅ Poor workplace support and insufficient recovery
✅ Individual factors including age, fitness, and BMI

💡 Clinical relevance for osteopaths

This paper supports a broader biopsychosocial approach to occupational MSK pain. For osteopaths, that means:
• Looking beyond tissue load alone
• Exploring workplace stressors and recovery opportunities
• Supporting graded activity and self-management
• Addressing physical capacity, ergonomics, and movement variability
• Helping patients navigate sustainable return-to-work strategies

The review also highlights growing opportunities for prevention through ergonomic interventions, workplace education, wearable technology, and early MSK support.

📖 Lopes & Lages (2026) https://zurl.co/rYnXl
“Work-related musculoskeletal disorders: prevalence and contributing risk factors—a narrative review”

12/05/2026

📚 Exercise First for Subacromial Shoulder Pain — Better Long-Term Outcomes Than Surgery

A 10-year follow-up study has shown that patients with persistent subacromial shoulder pain who responded to a specific exercise programme achieved better long-term outcomes than those who underwent surgery. Non-operated patients had significantly higher shoulder function scores after 10 years, while the specific exercise group was also far less likely to choose surgery in the first place.

The programme focused on strengthening the rotator cuff and scapular stabilisers, rather than simple unloaded ROM exercises — and the benefits persisted a decade later. Patients who improved with exercise had the best outcomes overall.

🔍 Key findings:
✅ Specific exercise significantly reduced the need for surgery
✅ Non-operated patients had superior Constant-Murley shoulder scores at 10 years
✅ Surgery was helpful for some exercise non-responders, but outcomes remained better in those successfully managed with exercise
✅ Rotator cuff tear progression occurred similarly in both surgical and non-surgical groups
✅ Many patients continued using exercises independently to manage intermittent symptoms years later

💡 What this means for osteopaths

This study strongly supports:
• Exercise-based rehabilitation as first-line care
• Progressive loading of the rotator cuff and scapular muscles
• Combining manual therapy with targeted strengthening and education
• Helping patients build confidence in movement and self-management
• Avoiding over-reliance on imaging findings when discussing prognosis or surgical referral

The authors also highlight that psychosocial factors, coping strategies, and activity demands may influence outcomes just as much as structural findings.

📖 Study: https://zurl.co/SD3yN

💪 Details of the specific exercises used: https://zurl.co/rA7dL

08/05/2026

Public health isn’t about lectures or lifestyle coaching.

It’s about the small, credible messages patients trust — from clinicians they already respect.

Osteopaths regularly see patients who:
• are physically inactive
• struggle with stress and sleep
• smoke or drink more than they’d like

We want to understand how osteopaths see this part of their role — and what support would actually be useful.

📝 Share your views:
🔗 https://zurl.co/Ew1xg

07/05/2026

📢 Interested in developing your leadership and governance experience in osteopathic research?

NCOR is inviting applications for its Governance Fellowship — an opportunity to contribute to the strategic direction of a respected research charity while gaining valuable insight into research governance, collaboration, and leadership within healthcare.

This fellowship is ideal for students or osteopaths that are passionate about evidence-informed practice, research development, and supporting the future of osteopathic healthcare.

Find out more and apply here: https://zurl.co/E7rCf

05/05/2026

🧠 New Masterclass for MSK Clinicians: Screening for Spondyloarthritis

Persistent back, joint or tendon pain? It may not be mechanical.

A recent open-access masterclass offers a comprehensive, clinically relevant guide to screening, suspicion, and referral for axial and peripheral spondyloarthritis—an often under-recognised cause of musculoskeletal presentations.

🔍 Key highlights:
• Clear overview of axial vs peripheral spondyloarthritis
• Practical “must ask” case history questions to support screening
• Red flags and risk factors (e.g. psoriasis, IBD, uveitis, family history)
• Guidance on referral thresholds and clinical decision-making
• Case-based resources to strengthen clinical reasoning

Despite being as common as rheumatoid arthritis, delayed diagnosis remains a major issue—often 5–10+ years . As MSK practitioners, osteopaths are well placed to support earlier recognition and appropriate referral.

📖 A must-read for anyone assessing persistent MSK pain.

👉 Read the full open access paper:
https://zurl.co/JyEHE

01/05/2026

Most of your patients come in with MSK pain.

But many are also living with stress, poor sleep, low activity levels, or other health behaviours that affect recovery.
As osteopaths, we’re uniquely placed to influence more than musculoskeletal health — often through brief, everyday conversations.

📝 We’re running a short online survey to understand osteopaths’ views on their role in public health.
Your responses will directly inform future training designed to support osteopaths in practice.

👉 Take part here:
🔗 https://zurl.co/UPhbu

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275 Borough High Street
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SE11JE

Website

https://linktr.ee/ncor_uk, http://www.ncor.org.uk/

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