Health Benefits of Osteopathy

There’s more to Osteopathy than just bad backs!

The first school of osteopathy was opened in America in 1874 by Andrew Taylor Still, who was a physician and surgeon. His practice was based on the view that to feel truly well and healthy, the structures of the body should be well aligned and work together as a whole.

His ultimate goal was to alleviate his patient’s symptoms with minimal surgery and medicine – he believed that often the traditional medical treatments of the time were ineffective (sometimes even harmful); this was particularly true of infections, post surgical complications and even the common flu. Three of his own children died from meningitis and one other from pneumonia.

He developed his hands on methods of manipulation following 30 years of studying the body’s anatomy. Over time, Still built a reputation so strong that patients from all over America flocked to his practice for treatment which proved more effective than traditional medicine in an era before the discovery of antibiotics.

Osteopathic hospitals treating patients with acute infections may have stopped now but the understanding and ability to treat the body as a whole continues. Today, the NHS marks osteopathy as an Allied Health Profession (AHP), recognising it as a vital healthcare profession and treatment option.

Long term health benefits of osteopathy:

Improved circulation

Better immune response

Healthier muscles

Better digestion

Joint flexibility -

Better postural and anatomical alignment

Improved strength

Good nerve function

Efficient lymphatic drainage

This means that not only is osteopathy great for helping you become free of pain, it also helps keep the different bodily systems in a good state of function. Overall, you feel better physically which helps your mental health too.

Osteopathy in the modern world

We’re living in a society that’s more sedentary and stressful than before, with processed foods in abundance, which means osteopathy’s more unique way at looking at the whole body system is more relevant and effective than ever.

Modern day problems:

Stress

  • Sustained periods of stress are well known to contribute to serious health issues, including tension headaches, muscle stiffness, digestive problems, and elevated blood pressure.

  • Osteopathy helps relieve the physical manifestations of stress by improving circulation, releasing muscle tension, and promoting relaxation. By addressing musculoskeletal imbalances, osteopaths can help reduce the strain placed on the nervous system, allowing the body to better cope with stress.

Office lifestyle and poor posture

  • With more people working from desks for prolonged periods, musculoskeletal issues are on the rise. Long hours spent hunched over computers contribute to poor posture, back pain, neck stiffness, and repetitive strain injuries.

  • Osteopathic treatment focuses on restoring proper alignment, improving joint mobility, and enhancing circulation. Through a combination of manual therapy, movement techniques, and lifestyle advice, osteopaths help office workers counteract the negative effects of prolonged sitting.

  • As well as this, osteopaths educate their patients on workplace ergonomics, stretches, and exercises to help maintain good posture and prevent future injuries.

The digital age and increased screen time

  • Suffering from tech neck? It’s no surprise when we spend an average of over 4 hrs on our phones every day. This prolonged screen exposure is linked to an increase in tension headaches, eye strain, and neck pain.

  • Osteopathy offers relief by addressing the muscular imbalances caused by extended screen use. Techniques such as soft tissue massage and spinal manipulation have been shown to alleviate tightness and improve blood flow, reducing the frequency and intensity of headaches.

  • Our osteopaths have many years experience in providing practical guidance on screen positioning, posture, and exercises to minimise discomfort and long-term damage caused by excessive screen use.

Sedentary lifestyle

  • The rise in sedentary lifestyles has led to an increase in musculoskeletal conditions such as joint pain, reduced mobility, and chronic inflammation. In addition, the consumption and abundance of ultra-processed foods are making it hard for everyone to maintain overall health.

  • Osteopathy plays a crucial role in encouraging movement and improving joint function. By working on the body’s structural alignment, osteopaths help patients move more freely and comfortably, making it easier for them to exercise, and move without pain.

  • This is also especially important for our ageing population. Osteopathy  helps older people improve flexibility and helps with common issues such as osteoporosis and arthritis.

Drug-free treatment

Osteopathy provides a hands-on, drug-free treatment option that focuses on improving mobility, reducing pain, and promoting overall well-being. Rather than relying on medicine to treat symptoms in isolation, osteopathy looks at how the body is working as a whole – as well as the pain or symptoms they’re experiencing.

Conclusion

Patients will often find themselves at the osteopath following an accident, injury or perhaps when they can no longer put up with an unreasonable amount of pain. Osteopaths can usually help or refer to someone else who can.

However osteopathy is more than just pain relief, it is a system of manual medicine which helps keep the whole of you healthy for old age. Once any acute treatment has passed successfully, we normally recommend that patients come for maintenance treatment every three or four months.

Sara Hutson