People usually associate osteopathy with treating necks and backs. Yes our Oxford based osteopaths are known for effectively treating necks and backs, but our experienced osteopathic team are also highly trained to treat people with pain from all over the body. We have listed the most common problems that the people of Oxford present to the practice with. Please don’t forget that osteopathy is able to treat the whole body, not just necks and backs.
Neck pain is the second most commonly treated condition at the Oxford practice (after lower back pain). It is very common across the population with most people having experienced some sort of neck pain, whether it be after sleeping, after sitting at a desk or reading a book. Trauma is another common cause of neck pain, along with road traffic accidents. Patients find osteopathy effective in the treatment of acute and chronic neck pain. You may find that you are experiencing pain in the morning, along with stiffness. Symptoms may present similar to below:
If you or anybody that you know has ever suffered from low back pain, you know that it can be debilitating. Back pain in the second most common condition that patients present with to our Oxford practice. Sometimes peoples pain can intensify and develop over time or sometimes the pain can present more acutely, perhaps after bending forward or getting out of the car. As you can image there are a range of causes of lower back pain, or lumbago as it is very often called. Patients find osteopathy effective in the reduction of acute and chronic low back pain and often come in as soon as an ‘incident’ develops. Symptoms of low back pain can include:
Dull ache local to the neck
Sharp pain upon certain movements
Neck stiffness or tenderness
Numbness, pins and needles or weakness into your arm or hand
Sharp shooting pains
Shoulder pain
Headaches
Pain in the lower part of your back
Numbness/ weakness in the low back and/or thigh and/or foot
Muscle stiffness and tightness
Tingling sensation in your thighs or legs
Pain when standing, sitting or bending forward
Pain after activities, or sudden movements or lifting heavy items
The following symptoms can be classed as a medical emergency, and you should contact your general practitioner (GP) immediately if you have the following symptoms with your low back pain:
The inability to hold on to your bladder/bowel
Loss of sensation around the groin and saddle area
Fever above 101 degrees Fahrenheit, especially after surgery
Unusual weight loss/ severe stomach pain
Leg weakness that is progressively getting worse.
Your session will begin with a full medical health questionnaire regarding your pain presentation, health and your previous medical history. If you have any previous or current MRI’s or X-ray results we will assess those too. We will then progress on to examination, which will involve looking at the whole of the body, not just the area that you have come in for us to look at, so please wear appropriate underwear so we can see how your body moves. The aim of the examination is to evaluate what works and what doesn’t and is done by asking you to move and by us moving you. When a diagnosis is obtained we will advise you of how we think we can help you and if appropriate commence with treatment there and then. Osteopathy uses gentle techniques such as mobilisation, deep tissue massage, stretching and manipulation. It is likely that you will be sent home with some exercises too to continue the good work at home.
It is common for people to feel some relief after their first treatment at the practice, however for people with acute/ short term pain it is common to have a few visits with us, where as long term issues such as chronic pain or degeneration is is usual that a longer treatment plan will be needed to address the problem efficiently.
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