Complementary Pain Relief
Osteopathy & Pain
Pain, especially back pain, often does not arise immediately after an injury because the body is very good at adapting to injuries and accommodating strains and stresses. However, this adaptation to injuries can cause strain elsewhere and over a period of time symptoms can begin, often insidiously.
Episodes of pain may be triggered by events such as physical exertion, emotional stress or illness. Sometimes a minor strain may give more pain and take longer to heal than expected. This may be because the body is already coping by adapting and accommodating to previous strain and stresses and any new demand tips the balance, “the final straw”.
The skilled techniques used by the osteopath can help you return to health and your normal activity. If you have pain for a long time and other forms of treatment have not helped, osteopathic treatment may be beneficial; although it may require time and patience.
The aim of osteopathic treatment is to improve body function to aid a return to health. As well as hands-on treatment, the osteopath will, where appropriate, recommend ways in which you can help yourself at home in the form of exercises, advice on diet and supplements, altering your work or home environment. This will enhance the response to treatment and help prevent recurrence.
There are times when it may be advisable for you to take pain killing and/or anti-inflammatory medication in combination with osteopathic treatment. As osteopaths we work in close co-operation with GPs and consultants.
Should it become necessary x-rays, MRI scans and consultant referrals can be arranged on a private basis.
Headaches
Headaches can have numerous causes from caffeine withdrawal and chemical irritants to many different diseases. Using the skill of detailed history taking and examination, osteopaths are often able to source the cause. On occasions headaches can be the result of restrictions in the neck of joints and/or soft tissues caused by stress, tension or physical trauma., which can usually be successfully treated with manual therapy.
Neck & Back pain
Neck & low back pain is very common, over half of the population will report having it at some point in their life. All patients suffering with acute neck or back pain should see a health care professional before they have been off work for 6 weeks.
There are many different reasons for back pain, and if prevention and treatment is to be most effective it is important to have a good understanding of the cause. The onset can often be traced to an accident or trauma, even one that occurred many years previously.
The osteopath will look at whole your whole body functions and so be able to reduce strain on the painful area caused by mechanical problems elsewhere. Long term treatment plans can be developed to help manage your pain and may prevent recurrence.
Arthritis
Aching, pain and stiffness in the joints does not have to be inevitable as we get older. Many people assume that they have arthritis if they have joint pain or if diagnosed with arthritis; that it is untreatable and that pain and discomfort must be endured. Inflammation in an arthritic joint can cause pain, stiffness, muscle tightness and can place pressure on nerves causing pain elsewhere.
Although damage to the joint surface cannot be reversed, osteopathic treatment and advice on simple life-style changes can be effective in reducing pain and discomfort and improving mobility. Early signs of joint wear and tear developing in the 30-40 age group can respond well to osteopathic treatment, maintaining joint mobility and strength and reducing pain.
Osteopathy & Posture
Poor posture can contribute to daily aches and pains whether you lift heavy loads, sit at a desk or PC incorrectly or drive for long periods. An Osteopath can advise on correct posture and movement, your work-station set up, using the correct chairs etc. to alleviate symptoms. Sometimes small changes can have dramatic effects.
Acupuncture & Pain
Acupuncture had been used for thousands of years to treat pain and is widely used and accepted all over the world; there are many modern clinical studies which support its effectiveness in reducing pain and can be used alongside conventional medicine. In particular a Western study carried out at the University of Michigan Pain and Fatigue Research Centre in May 2009 found that acupuncture is able to affect the brains ability to reduce and regulate pain.
Traditional acupuncture works to maintain the body’s natural equilibrium by treating the whole person the physical, mental and emotional. Needles are inserted into meridians (natural energy pathways) to influence qi (vital energy) with the aim of stimulating the body’s own healing response to restore its natural balance.
It is a safe, effective and a holistic treatment.
Other techniques may be used in the treatment:
Moxibustion - a dried herb called mugwort is burnt to heat needles or directly used onto acupuncture points on the skin. Moxibustion has an influence on qi of the body and the ability to circulate qi and blood thereby contributing to relief of pain
Cupping- a vacuum in created in glass cups which are then placed onto the skin which has been pre-oiled, usually the back, this therapy is designed to draw toxins to the surface, increase circulation, relieve muscle tightness and tension.
Electro-acupuncture - clips are attached to needles and then connected to a machine that produces small electrical currents. It can have a long lasting effect on pain and inflammation.
Pain
- Arthritis – osteoarthritis/ rheumatoid
- Back pain, joint pain
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Frozen shoulder
- Knee pain
- Muscular aches
- Neck pain
- Post operative pain
- Repetitive Strain Injury R.S.I.
- Sciatica
- Shoulder pain
- Sports injuries
- Tendonitis
- Tennis elbow
- Golfers elbow
Massage
Massage is a very effective technique for controlling pain, there are number of ways in which massage may help in controlling pain.
Massage confuses the body's pain signals, it works by 'closing the gate' that pain impulses have to pass through.
Massage also calls up the body's natural painkillers, by stimulating the release of endorphins, the morphine-like substances that the body manufactures, into the brain and nervous system.
Massage provides deep relaxation. It relieves muscle tension, spasm, and stiffness, all of which contribute to pain.
Massage improves blood circulation, bringing with it what the muscle needs, oxygen and other forms of nourishment, muscles then relax, and pain decreases.
Massage relieves mental stress and anxiety.
Massage is providing the benefit by the therapeutic ‘power of touch’ that helps a person in pain.
What Types of Pain Can Massage Help?
Massage can help any pain originating from muscle tension:
Releasing tightness and tension in muscles is the most obvious effect of a good massage.
Massage also is beneficial for relieving pain associated with arthritis, injuries, or even recent surgery.
