What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a safe and natural therapy that focuses on the framework of the body; the bones, ligaments, muscles and connective tissues or fascia. Osteopaths assess the condition of this musculo-skeletal system looking for areas of weakness, imbalance and excessive strain. Any potential ‘weak points’ will determine how well the body functions and they will have an influence on the general health of the whole body.
Osteopaths have become well known for treating back and neck problems because they are so good at it; however, many other conditions can be very successfully treated with osteopathy. The musculo-skeletal system forms the framework that carries the body’s network of nerves, blood vessels and lymphatics. It also physically supports the internal organs. The health of the musculo-skeletal system therefore has a direct effect on the health of the rest of the body. Osteopathic treatment aimed at improving the mechanics of the body automatically influences such things as blood and nerve supply, as well as activity of the internal organs.
The osteopath will advise you on posture, ergonomics, diet, stress and lifestyle changes to improve your quality of life and to prevent symptoms occurring in the future. The osteopath will also prescribe you with specific exercises for rehabilitation and injury prevention.
NICE Guidelines
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence recommends a course of manual therapy, including osteopathic spinal manipulation, for the early management of persistent non-specific lower back pain.
All Registered Osteopaths have extensive knowledge about pathology to recognise conditions that should be referred to a qualified medical practitioner for further investigation when osteopathic treatment is not appropriate.
Side effects of Osteopathic Treatment
Some patients will experience irritation of their symptoms and soreness where treatment was carried out, it is not unusual to sometimes feel sore in the first 24-48 hours after treatment.
Your pain may increase temporarily after treatment and you may even have some bruising. About half of all patients who have manual therapy get these mild to moderate side-effects, but they don’t usually last long. This is a normal, healthy response to the treatment.
Your osteopath will explain any likely reactions that you could expect.
Osteopathy can help with:
general back & neck pain
sciatica
tennis elbow & other sport injuries
neck-related tension stress & headaches
arthritic pain
repetitive strain injury
frozen shoulder
pregnancy-related back pain
