Spinal and Back Pain Treatment

One of the main purposes of osteopathy is pain relief for back pains. Osteopathic adjustments help people of all ages who suffer from pain, tackling complaints ranging from work-related injuries to arthritis and sciatica. The osteopath’s role is to eliminate or decrease pain and improve the patient’s mobility in order to make their life more comfortable. One of the procedures of treatment is osteopathic adjustment or spinal manipulation, also called spinal manipulative therapy or manual therapy, combines moving and jolting joints, massage, exercise, and physical therapy. It's designed to relieve pressure on joints, reduce inflammation, and improve nerve function. It’s often used to treat back, neck, shoulder, and headache pain. Some people have instant relief whenever they undergo osteopathic adjustment. Others discover it can take weeks or months. Many factors can affect your recovery such as your age, how long you’ve had the problem, severity and keeping your appointments.

 While every people reacts differently in treatment, your osteopath doctor will be able to advise you on your likely recovery time. In most cases, you will feel a change for the better early on in your treatment plan. Most people do claim that they feel better and lighter after just one or two treatments of osteopathic adjustment, but the longer you’ve had it, the longer it will take to get it sorted. Your commitment to the recommended osteopathic adjustment treatment, home exercises and any diet or lifestyle adjustments will also determine your osteopathic adjustment outcome and your long term benefits from osteopathic care. Osteopathic adjustment has been proven to be medically safe, much safer than taking medication or surgery. The probability of risk is very low when compared to medical care due to drugs and surgery. Your osteopath will explain possible risks of treatment and discuss any concerns you may have prior to commencing with treatment.

With the patient sitting or lying down on a table, your osteopathy doctor will gently apply a precise amount of manual pressure in a specific direction. The pressure is applied either directly in the affected areas or at some distance away. It is used to put the tissues at ease and relaxed or to engage them at their functional limit in order for the treatment to take effect:

·         Treatment of structural and tissue abnormalities such as vertebrae, muscles and myofascial structures

·         Relieves joint restrictions and misalignment of bones

·         Restores circulation of muscle and tissue balance

During osteopathic adjustments, you will notice a sound while on the process which lubricating fluids separate the bones of each spinal joint. A medical research team have concluded that the sound you hear results from gas rushing in to fill a partial vacuum when the joint are slightly separated. The osteopath evaluates each patient’s unique problem and develops an individual custom tailored care programme. This is based on years of training, experience, patient’s age and health status. The number of osteopathic adjustment treatment varies with each patient and their individual health goals.

 Chronic cases may require months or even years of treatment. Problems that you have neglected and untreated for a long period of time may require on-going care for optimal function while other acute problems may only require a few appointments. In any event visits become less often as your spine and body stabilises. But it is important to remember that each visit builds and slowly improves your condition on the one before.