How an Osteopath Can Help Deal with Body Pain
Osteopathy is a practice of medicine which emphasizes on the body's muscular-skeletal system i.e. the muscles, joints and bones. The idea is to keep this system at optimal function and eliminate any pain, resulting in minimal wear-and-tear to these parts.
The body is typically subjected to various stress factors, which are combated through tissue repair, sleep, proper nutrition and a strong immune system. However, sometimes these stress factors may exceed what the body can defend itself against, resulting in disease/symptoms which need to be treated.
How an osteopath works
On the first visit to the osteopath at a place like Keilor Health Centre, he/she will attempt to determine the cause behind the symptoms in order to administer treatment that address the underlying cause rather than alleviating symptoms. In so doing, he/she empowers the body to be able to repair itself.
Typically an osteopath uses non-painful therapies including massage techniques and joint articulation, mobilization and manipulation where necessary. In addition, they will recommend lifestyle changes including nutrition, activity and exercise to strengthen muscular function.
Treatment of damage following occupational stress and injury
Osteopaths most commonly treat patients with sciatica and back pain, but osteopathic intervention can be useful for a wide range of symptoms and disease. Some of these include spinal, traumatic and postural conditions which affect the lower and upper extremities as well as the neck.
Osteopathic treatment is also useful for muscular-skeletal injury following occupational strain such as sports-related injuries. In such cases, the osteopath pays attention to rehabilitation as well as prevention of injury to facilitate full and quick recovery.
Osteopathic intervention for colic
Relatively new studies have shown that muscular-skeletal malfunctions could be one of the reasons behind paediatric colic. For a long time, colic was thought to be as a result of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) upsets in babies, causing them to cry inconsolably for hours on end. This is usually thought to be a result of birth trauma of some kind, e.g. prolonged labor.
Osteopathically speaking, prolonged labor may cause excessive pressure on an infant's head, which can create systemic dysfunction in the infant's mechanical systems. A visit to a cranial osteopath can diagnose the extent of damage and provide treatments to reverse it.
Typically, milder impairments will self-correct, but when contractions during labor result in excessive pressure causing severe damage, these distortions will persist throughout the infant's body. Osteopaths have found that in colicky babies, the base of the skull in mostly affected during child-birth, and nerves from this point are directly connected to the GIT, which explains why colic is thought to stem from GIT distress.