Osteopathy is a drug-free, non-invasive manual therapy that aims to improve health across all body systems by manipulating and strengthening the musculoskeletal framework.

Osteopathy is a way of detecting, treating and preventing health problems by moving, stretching and massaging a person's muscles and joints.

An osteopathic physician will focus on the joints, muscles, and spine. Treatment aims to positively affect the body’s nervous, circulatory, and lymphatic systems.

Manual medicine means that both diagnosis and treatment are carried out with the hands.

Techniques include stretching, gentle pressure, and resistance, known as osteopathic manipulative medicine.

Osteopaths use physical manipulation, stretching and massage with the aim of:

1.Increasing the mobility of joints

2.Relieving muscle tension

3.Reducing pain

4.Enhancing the blood supply to tissues

5.Helping the body to heal

Fast facts about osteopathy

  • Osteopathy uses a drug-free, non-invasive form of manual medicine that focuses on the health of the whole body, not just the injured or affected part.
  • The osteopathic physician focuses on the joints, muscles, and spine.
  • Osteopathic intervention can help treat arthritis, back pain, headaches, tennis elbow, digestive issues, and postural problems.
  • Treatment can also assist with sleep cycles and the nervous, circulatory, and lymphatic symptoms.

Osteopathy can treat a range of disorders

Osteopaths can manage a range of conditions including:

1.Neck and back pain

2.Arthritis

3.Sciatica

4.Headaches

5.Vertigo

6.Repetitive strain and overuse injuries

7.Pregnancy-related discomfort

8.Tendonitis

9.Sports injuries

 Risks

As with all treatments, osteopathy can involve some risks.

After treatment, it is common for a patient to feel stiff, rather like after exercising, for 24 to 48 hours. Some patients may have a headache for a short while

Older patients may experience less common side effects, include severe pain, rib fracture in patients with osteoporosis, numbness, and tingling.

If these occur, the patient should speak to their osteopath or their physician.

More severe adverse effects may need emergency medical treatment.

These include stroke, prolapsed disk, pain radiating to a limb, nerve damage, muscle weakness, and bladder or bowel problems.

Safety

Osteopathy is generally regarded as a safe treatment, although you may experience minor side effects, such as:

  • mild to moderate soreness or pain in the treatment area
  • headache
  • fatigue

These effects usually develop within a few hours of a session and typically get better on their own within 1 or 2 days.

In rare cases, serious complications have been linked to therapies involving spinal manipulation, including osteopathy.

These include the tearing of an artery wall leading to a stroke, which can result in permanent disability or even death.

These events usually occurred after spinal manipulation involving the neck.

Your osteopath should explain the benefits and any potential risks associated with having treatment.

When it should not be used

Osteopathic treatment is tailored to the individual patient. It is not recommended where there's an increased risk of damage to the spine or other bones, ligaments, joints or nerves.

This means people with certain health conditions may not be able to have osteopathy, or may only be able to have gentler techniques.

These conditions include:

  • osteoporosis 
  • fractures
  • acute inflammatory conditions,
  • conditions such as some types of arthritis infections blood clotting disorders, such as haemophilia,   cancer, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Osteopathy is also not recommended if you' re: taking blood-thinning medicines, such as warfarin having a course of radiotherapy

 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHRIOPRACTOR AND OSEOPATHY

What Is a Chiropractor?

A chiropractor is a medical professional who focuses on proper alignment of the spine and other joints . Although not medical doctors, chiropractors do undergo extensive medical training. Becoming a chiropractor requires no less than seven years of focused schooling

At first glance, it might seem as if chiropractors are only focused on the proper alignment of the spine, but their understanding goes much deeper. 

Chiropractors view the body holistically, which simply means that they treat the body as a single organism, rather than separate systems.

 When they are correcting a misalignment, or subluxation, of a joint or bone, this will affect the nerves, muscles, and other areas of the body. This is what makes it possible to use chiropractic care to treat a wide variety of conditions. 

Chiropractors tend to focus on natural remedies and usually don’t recommend surgery or prescription

What Is an Osteopath?

An osteopath is a doctor that focuses on the physical manipulation of the tissues, muscles, and bones. Like a chiropractor, osteopaths view the body as a whole rather than focusing on a specific portion. 

Osteopathic physicians follow much of the same path as a traditional medical doctor, including pre-med classes, four years of medical school and 3-7 years of residency) but rather than becoming a Doctor of Medicine, or M.D., they become Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.). Like an M.D., an osteopath can prescribe medicine and referrals for surgical procedures as they see fit. Osteopathy, however, is widely considered an “alternative” medicine. 

Osteopaths take a holistic approach and their education involves a heavier focus on the musculoskeletal system than the traditional medical path.