Osteopathy and the Cause of Pain
Osteopaths love to detect the cause of your pain!
As you might expect, traditional methods of physical therapy, tend to treat the symptoms of your pain. Usually, prescriptive exercises are given, rotation and massage of the affected limb would be applied over a few sessions and hopefully it would get better with a few anti-inflammatory tablets thrown in.
Osteopathy, however, works in a rather different way. We study the anatomy of the body to an incredibly fine level. We learn about the many systems that work together to make our bodies the exceptionally engineered ‘machines’ that they are.
We have the basic bony structure of our skeleton upon which our muscles and tendons are attached. We have the vital blood supply constantly feeding every area with oxygen and nutrients. Also there is the central nervous system which connects every part of us back to the brain for analysis. For instance that’s what informs us that the bath is too hot!
Then, within our torso, we have all the organs that work together like machinery in a factory to take in not just fresh air but also food. Our body will then digest it and send it on to other organs for storage or processing or to be put to use.
Therefore, in looking holistically at the body, you might say that Osteopaths are actually the forensic garage mechanics of the therapy world! If you think of your body as a Maserati, then Osteopaths don’t just polish the exterior of the bodywork. We are trained to get under the bonnet and look for the seemingly minor electrical fault that is in fact causing the structure to splutter and limp along the road!
The daily accumulations of poor posture, badly arranged office furniture that causes awkward, repetitive movements and curving of the spine whilst slumped on the sofa can build up into painful conditions that can be difficult to unravel. However, our training teaches us to be as curious as a detective! We ask lots of questions and observe a lot about the symptoms you have, your lifestyle and any previous health issues.
Then the detective in us goes to work, checking systems, finding where the faults are and gently releasing any stresses and strains where things have got ‘stuck’. In fact, we believe that the body is always attempting to revert to perfect health. A fine example of this is where a cut or graze generally heals itself within a few days with little external help. But when we go deeper into the mechanics of the body, sometimes things have become so stuck that it needs a little help to create the required shift. Then the body will slowly begin to move towards less pain, better mobility and less discomfort.
Indeed, my greatest satisfaction every day is in helping every patient I see to take this path towards better health, vitality and freedom from pain.
If you need pain care in Ascot or Kensington West London, book in today.
