Which complaints can be treated with osteopathy?
Essentially, osteopathy can be applied to all areas of medicine where functional disturbances are an underlying cause of the symptoms. In the process, osteopathy can be a primary treatment response or used in adjunct to other medical treatment.
Treatment examples include:
- Acute or chronic back pain.
- Sports and accident-related injuries.
- Disc injuries.
- Muscle and joint pain (e.g. tennis elbow).
- Complaints of the digestive system (e.g. bloating, stomach pain, digestive irregularities).
- Complaints of the urogenital system (e.g. recurrent urinary tract infections).
- Dizziness, headaches, and ear, nose and throat problems.
- Jaw problems, support of orthodontic treatment.
- Women’s health issues (e.g. menstrual pain, menopause, pregnancy issues and antenatal care).
- Neurological problems (e.g. rehabilitation after a stroke or an accident).
- Secondary health conditions in people with a disability (e.g. Down-syndrome).
- Paediatrics (e.g. skull asymmetries, hyperextension of the spine, excessive crying without apparent reason, and motor- or neuro-developmental delay).
If you would like to know whether you can benefit from osteopathy, please feel free to contact me.
Disclaimer
Please note that osteopathy, just like mainstream medicine, cannot guarantee treatment success. Successful treatment depends on many factors. The usefulness of osteopathy in the above-mentioned examples is based on experience within the osteopathic profession.
For whom is osteopathy suitable?
Osteopathy is suitable for people of any age, including newborns and the elderly. Osteopathy is used to treat a large variety of conditions and symptoms as well as for prevention and rehabilitation.
What happens in an osteopathic session?
A detailed case history and physical assessment allow your osteopath to gain a comprehensive view of you and your state of health, and to determine the root of your complaints. Sometimes this is straight forward, such as where pain and movement limitations are present after accidents or surgery. At other times the underlying cause appears distant from your symptoms. Please see: “How does Osteopathy work?”.
Wherever your osteopath’s hands sense limitations to function, he/she will endeavour to release the underlying tension as much as possible. Due to the interconnectedness of the body, this tension can be held in areas elsewhere in your body.
There are many different osteopathic techniques and your osteopath will perform those that are most appropriate for you and your condition. Generally, these techniques are gentle and performed in such a way as to encourage your body to re-establish its own equilibriums.