The following is a list of common conditions that respond well to treatment

Back Pain

Sciatica
Arthritic pain
Tennis and golfers’ elbow

Joint pain and stiffness

Neuralgia

Discal injuries

Neck and shoulder pain

Whiplash induced joint pain and muscle spasm

Frozen shoulder

Pelvic pain

Work related strains

Trapped nerves

Repetitive strain injuries (RSIs)
Minor Sports injuries

Muscular aches and pains

Arm and hand pain

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Hip, knee and ankle pain

Tendon and ligament strains

Foot pain
Postural changes in pregnancy

Minor circulatory problems

Back Pain

Trouble with your back does not simply produce pain in the back.  It can also be the cause of more remote symptoms in the head, neck, buttocks and limbs (sciatica for example). 

Back pain is not restricted to a particular age group although certain age groups are more vulnerable to certain types of back dysfunctions.  Prolapsed or ‘slipped’ discs for instance are more common among young adults due to a combination of a relative plumpness of their discs coupled with lifestyle effects such as increased work load/ arrival of children and resultant decreased fitness.  Older adults are more likely to suffer from wear and tear type problems such as osteoarthritis which commonly causes pain and stiffness, which is worst in the mornings and after prolonged sitting or standing. 
 
Osteopathic treatment is a good first line of attack in correcting these sometimes very debilitating problems.  Treatment is likely to consist of a combination of gentle manual treatment combining muscular stretches with joint articulation and/or manipulation in order to improve mobility and help reduce painful inflammation and muscle spasm.  In the acute phase, advice on spinal ‘first aid’ is often useful, followed later by more general guidance on caring for your back and maintaining healthy posture.

Back pain can be the first sign of a non mechanical problem such as abdominal or pelvic disease, kidney disease, a tumour or a vascular problem.  Osteopaths are skilled in recognising such ‘non mechanical’ back pain so that the patient can be sent without delay to their GP for further investigations or treatment as needed.

Sciatica

This is a very general term referring to the pain caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve.  It can be felt as a sudden sharp pain or as a deep ‘toothache’ type pain and is usually experienced down the back of the leg and sometimes even into the ankle or foot.  It is often, but not always, accompanied by low back pain.

There are several places where the sciatic nerve can be trapped.  Most commonly it occurs in the canal through which the nerve leaves the spine or in the buttock where it is vulnerable to being squashed by tight muscles.   

The osteopath’s job is not simply to relieve the compression on the nerve but also to assess the patient’s body mechanics to find and change the reason why it became compressed in the first place.

Arthritic pain

Although arthritis itself cannot be reversed, the pain of arthritis is treatable.  Sufferers do not have to ‘learn to live with their symptoms’.

The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis (also know as degenerative arthritis or ‘wear and tear’), which is usually localised to a specific site, such as the hips, knees or spine.  The changes within a joint associated with osteoarthritis are usually a result of everyday living and are normal after about the age of 35.  These changes often begin years before pain is felt or bony changes are apparent on x-ray.

Failure to properly rehabilitate an injury or recurrent symptom can predispose a joint (or a related joint) to osteoarthritic changes.  Osteopathic treatment can help minimise the effects of life events on joints by freeing up related joints so that movement and loads are more evenly shared.

Even once the degeneration is more advanced an osteopath can do a great deal to reduce pain, ease swelling and improve the mobility of a joint by using gentle, manual osteopathic techniques on muscles, joints and ligaments.  Treatment should not be painful and usually symptomatic relief is quickly felt.

Tennis and golfers’ elbow

Tennis elbow is a common condition causing pain and tenderness on the outer side of the elbow.  It is a repetitive strain injury due to inappropriate use of the extensor muscles of the forearm and it is certainly not confined to tennis players!  In fact, it is most commonly found in manual workers, professional drivers and office workers who use their mouse and keyboard incorrectly.

Golfers’ elbow is similar to tennis elbow, but symptoms are felt on the inside of the elbow and are due to overuse of the flexor muscles of the forearm.

Osteopathic treatment works well on both conditions.  Aims of treatment are not just to alleviate the local pain and tenderness but also to improve the way that you use your whole arm, wrist and shoulder (and often the upper back) in order to take the strain off the affected muscles so that the problem does not reoccur.  Treatment to the neck is sometimes necessary as problems in the neck can distort the nerve supply to the arm muscles causing imbalance and thus overstrain.

A detailed case history is necessary to establish factors in your daily life that are causing the problem as well as those that may be preventing the body from healing itself.

If the problem has been long standing, more invasive techniques such as cortisone injections or surgery may be necessary.  These interventions need careful consideration and osteopathic treatment is a sensible first option.  On the whole, the earlier treatment is given, the better the prognosis.

Postural changes in pregnancy.

As the baby grows, the extra weight at the front moves the centre of gravity forwards.  At the same time, the ligaments soften to allow postural adaptation and the necessary increase in the size of the pelvis.

Although the body is designed to be able to adapt to these changes, the effects of these two main events can be problematic, especially if the mother has a pre-existing postural problem or weakness due to a previous trauma or injury.

Osteopathy can be a sensible first option for the following common problems in pregnancy:

• Low back ache (with or without leg/buttock/sciatic pain) due to the increased work load of the small muscles of the back in an attempt to keep the body upright.
• Joint overstrains due to lax ligaments and resulting instability.
• Heartburn and reflux due to compression on the organs of digestion and the diaphragm.
• Tired, aching feet due to reduced ligamentous stability causing the small muscles of the feet to work harder to maintain the arches of the foot.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome due to an increase in blood volume.
• Neck and associated headaches due to postural adaptation from above to the effects of an altered centre of gravity.
• Breathing difficulties due to postural changes within the rib cage resulting in poor diaphragm function.
• Varicose veins and haemorrhoids due to the resistance to normal return of blood from the lower half of the body back to the heart as a result of tension within the pelvis or diaphragm.

Treatment is gentle and effective and can reduce the need for pain killing drugs, which are best avoided at this time.

If the postural changes required during pregnancy are rapid, consider the speed of those after the birth!  And all of this when you have less time (and energy) than ever to devote to doing things right for yourself.

Cradling and nursing your new baby (night and day!), lifting heavy car seats, pushing buggies (often with a toddler hitching a ride): all of these things are new actions and efforts that the body must suddenly be able to achieve whilst coping with the effects of the hormonal induced lax ligaments, a sudden backward shift of the centre of gravity and of course, sleep deprivation!