Using his/her hands, which have been trained to a very refined
sense of touch, the Osteopath achieves an understanding of
structural abnormalities in the body tissues. The loss of
this normal mechanical function of body parts may lead to
a wide variety of symptoms. Osteopaths then have an equally
wide variety of manual techniques with which to diagnose
and subsequently apply as treatment to aid the return of
normal function and health. This ranges from the gentle cranial
and functional techniques, through to tissue articulation
and joint adjustments.
The large range and type of manipulative techniques available
allow each treatment to be unique to the patient and related
specifically to each patient's age, medical state, sex, physical
condition etc. As the body changes over a course of treatment
the treatment method may change too.
Techniques include massage to relax muscles, joint articulation,
high velocity thrust to restore joint mobility, and gentle
release (cranial and functional) designed to 'ease out' trauma
to soft tissue - especially suitable for children.
Faults in the body systems can arise as a result of, or
reaction to, injury, stress, disease or most commonly due
to a backlog of untreated and chronic 'mini' trauma's.
Although Osteopathic treatment is often related to back
pain, there are many other conditions affecting the body
frame which are accessible to the therapy.
Sports injuries, joint pain, headache, earache, certain
eye disorders, breathing difficulties, digestive trouble,
gynaecological problems, postural stress, and in fact problems
ranging from birth trauma to arthritis are all conditions
which may be treated in the osteopathic clinic. |
