Osteopaths - What Do We Do & How Can We Help?

Osteopaths -What Do We do and How Can We Relieve Your Pain?Osteopaths treat bones, muscles, ligaments and corrective tissue using their hands. The purpose of osteopathy is to restore and maintain good body health. If you are suffering from pain in the lower back, hips, neck or other vulnerable parts of the body, osteopathic treatment can help you to heal and bring relief to the intense discomfort you are experiencing.What Causes Pain In Your Back, Knees, Neck And Other Areas?Proper functioning of the musculoskeletal system prevents severe pain. The job of an osteopath is to identify and remedy what is causing the pain. It could be due to poor posture related to work, repetitive strain injury, sports injuries, pregnancy or effects brought on by rheumatic diseases. In some cases, you may be referred to an osteopath for digestive, respiratory or gynaecological problems too.What Is Osteopathic Treatment?Key osteopathic treatments include stretching to strengthen core muscles, articulation of contracted muscles and ligaments, massage and manipulation of the joints. While osteopathy helps to eliminate pain, the underlying purpose of osteopathy is to identify the root causes of the pain and implement preventative measures to ensure the pain goes away in the long term, not just the short term.Coping with The Body's Wear And TearJust like mechanical machines, we humans beings suffer from ‘wear and tear’ too, injury, bad posture and old age all lead to degeneration of the bones, muscle and muscle tissue but is this irreversible?The answer is yes and no.Yes, the degeneration is an effect that cannot be reversed but no, that doesn’t mean you have to live in pain and lose your mobility. With osteopathic treatment, the pain can be reduced and relieved at the very least and tour mobility will increase with the right courses of exercises.Osteopathy helps you cope and compensate for the changes to your body due to injury, wear and tear and old age.Osteopathy As A Holistic ApproachOsteopathy is a holistic system that locates the root of the problem by looking at the entire body. Believe it or not you could be experiencing knee pain as a result of pelvis imbalance.Osteopathy-Natural Treatment For Aches And PainsIn a culture where painkillers are taken to relieve all kinds of pain, osteopathy is a drug free and long lasting alternative without the negative side effects of popular pain killers.Rather than relying on quick fixes, in osteopathy, emphasis is placed on the natural healing mechanisms that exist in the body itself. The body is capable of self regulating, defending against degeneration and remodelling to cope with changes.Sometimes, the body just needs a reminder to carry out it’s functions properly and that’s what osteopathy does.Preventative MeasuresOver time, habits are formed that lead to muscular and skeletal dysfunction. An athlete might form the habit of rolling the ankle when running causing over supination and strain on the ankle.This can have a ‘knock on’ effect where the problem spreads to the rest of the body affecting the lower back and hips. This and other similar habits can be prevented through correct education and training on posture and an exercise program to ensure the joints and bones stay in the right place.CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) and REBT (Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy) can be used in conjunction with osteopathy to bring about a mindset that enables correct posture and care of the body to reduce the risk of repeated pain and injury in future.What To Expect From An OsteopathOn your first visit to an experienced and reputable osteopath, you should expect some detailed questioning. The reason for the question is your osteopath wants to find the pain points you are experiencing, learn about factors in your medical history that may point to the root of the problem and any past events that may have played a part in your pain issues.Once a problem is found, an examination should take place of the possible problem zone and other parts of the muscular/skeletal system. A professional osteopath will always carry out this examination in a manner that respects your dignity, is non evasive and comfortable.If the problem is identifiable, it is normal practice to prescribe treatment which may consist of appropriate exercises to aid the healing process.Alternatively, you may receive advice on ways to improve lifestyle choices and in some case where the problem cannot be identified, you may be referred on to a GP.If you'd like us to start helping you, get in touch with us here and we can formulate a plan to help you feel back to your best.