Research

I am a researcher at the National Council for Osteopathic Research. Part of this work involves giving presentations, advising manual therapists, presenting posters, and more besides.

In my copious spare time I volunteer as an abstract rater for the Dissemination Centre of the National Institute for Health Research. Volunteers are occasionally asked to review abstracts from recently published research to help the Dissemination Centre’s editorial board select the most appropriate research to summarise. These short-format summaries of clinically-relevant research are known as Signals. The Dissemination Centre has a collection of the latest research on physical therapy that osteopaths may find interesting. I would encourage anybody with research experience to volunteer as a Signal abstrac rater.

My interests include the use of machine learning to reduce research waste by helping researchers find and summarise evidence, and improve the adoption of evidence by clinicians (as well as improving the feedback from clinicians to researchers).

Publications

Carnes D, Mars T, Plunkett A, Nanke L, Abbey H. (2017). A mixed methods evaluation of a third wave cognitive behavioural therapy and osteopathic treatment programme for chronic pain in primary care (OsteoMAP). International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. March 2017. doi: 10.1016/j.ijosm.2017.03.005

Plunkett, A. (2017). Thematic Analysis of Challenging Experiences in Osteopathic Practices in the UK from 2014 to 2016. Poster presentation at 11th International Conference on Advances in Osteopathic Research, Milan. April 2017.

Carnes D, Plunkett A, Ellwood J, Miles C. (2018). Manual therapy for unsettled, distressed and excessively crying infants: a systematic review and meta-analyses. BMJ Open 2018;8:e019040. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019040