Osteopathy is recognised as a successful treatment by the British Medical Association
How Osteopathy works
Osteopathy offers an array of manipulative techniques that alleviate pain in the joints, nerves and muscle tissues; restore freedom of movement and enhance the body’s own healing power.
It has been proven to work in a number of large scale studies, is recognised as a successful treatment by the British Medical Association and gained Primary Healthcare Status in 1993, which allows people to use osteopaths as a first port of call, as they would a GP or dentist.
All osteopaths have to be registered with the General Osteopathic Council, which regulates and develops the profession and maintains a register of those entitled to practice, who must have completed a very demanding four or five year course to degree standard in an accredited institution. To call oneself an osteopath without such qualification is a criminal offence, like calling yourself a doctor without being properly qualified – and patients being treated by an Osteopath have the same legal rights as those being treated by a doctor or dentist.
Practising osteopaths are required to demonstrate continuing professional development is order to remain registered, which entails keeping in touch with research and new methods of treatment.
Osteopathic treatment from Osteohealth commonly involves three main types of treatment:
1. Manipulation:
Sudden, fast but precise procedures performed to a joint to improve its mobility. This can free adhesions within the joint, restoring a lost range of motion. The fast ‘thrust’ affects the sensory nerve endings within the lining of the joint which resets local neurological reflexes, bringing local muscular relaxation and increased blood flow to the area.
2. Articulation
Rhythmic motion carried out on a joint to improve its quality and range of movement. The motion gently stretches the tissues surrounding the joint, as well as creating a pumping action to improve the blood supply to the area and dispose of inflammatory products.
3. Soft-tissue work
This treats tight painful muscle tissues which restrict normal flexibility and co-ordination. Treatment directly stretches the muscles fibres as well as breaking adhesions within the tissues. Direct pressure and stretching of the muscle stimulate small nerve ending within the tendons which through reflex action lead to relaxation of the muscle fibres. It is also possible to remove particular localised trigger-points within muscle – these are areas of hypertonic tissue which adversely affect the local nerve structures and which ‘refer’ pain to other areas of the body. Additionally, following tears and strains, direct soft tissue work can break down scar tissue and restore the proper alignment the muscle fibres.
Further treatment
While osteopathic treatment will work well in the great majority of cases, in some cases it may be necessary to supplant it with further treatment, such as medication, referral for scans or blood tests or, in the worst cases, surgery.
Osteohealth can design individual exercise programmes to alleviate pain and prevent recurrence.