About Osteopathy
What does it treat?
There is a difficulty in providing a ‘list’ as inherently osteopathy does not treat conditions, it treats people. That said, it can be helpful to have some examples. Osteopaths are capable of treating a wide range of disorders. Before the age of antibiotics osteopathy had the reputation of being efficacious in treating pneumonia, for example, although this would not be the approach of first choice now. However, it is safe to say that generally, if there is a problem that is expressed in a muscle or a joint, an osteopath can treat it. Some common problems include:
- low back pain or stiffness (which may or may not include sciatica)
- neck and upper back pain or stiffness
- problems with the upper arm, elbow, fore-arm, wrist and hand
- problems with the hip, knee, ankle and foot
- workplace strains
- sports injuries
- backache experienced during pregnancy
- symptoms of chronic conditions, e.g., asthma, arthritis
- stiffness associated with wear and tear
- effects of trauma, e.g., whiplash
- period pain
- irritable bowel syndrome
- postural problems & many others
At first, osteopathy may not look an obvious choice for irritable bowel syndrome but the bowel is made up of muscle and controlled by nerves, and muscles become tense and tight when a patient is stressed or anxious.
Indeed, it becomes difficult to think of any condition that osteopathy is contraindicated for. It is particulary useful during pregnancy, as no drugs or medicines are involved. Even babies can benefit, and it has been shown to help with things like infant colic and glue ear. It is obvious that osteopathy cannot cure a chronic condition such as arthritis but it can help ameliorate many of its painful features. Cancer is another condition where osteopathy can often make life more comfortable for those suffering from this distressing condition.