Osteopathy is a hands-on manual therapy that works on the musculoskeletal system of your body to treat many common ailments. The main principle is that your body possesses an inherent ability to heal itself – osteopathic treatment seeks to identify and address the cause of health problems rather than simply treating symptoms.
Osteopaths use a wide range of gentle manipulations, including soft tissue massage and joint articulation to release tension, stretch muscles, help relieve pain and mobilise joints. The treatments are suitable for all ages, including children and babies. It’s also very effective for back pain, neck pain, repetitive strain injury (RSI), and problems associated with pregnancy such as low back or pelvic girdle pain, as well as sciatica.
For example, osteopathic treatment for sciatica reduces the inflammation of the sciatic nerve, relieves the pressure on the spinal cord caused by compression of the herniated disc and helps restore movement to the legs and feet. Osteopathy can also treat other conditions, such as the pain of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome and is often recommended by doctors for pregnant women.
Another condition osteopathy can help with is vertigo. Osteopathy can minimize the symptoms and improve the functioning of the vestibular system by postural rebalancing, reducing the strain on the nerves that cause dizziness. It can also improve the balancing of the cranial bones and promote a more normal position for the rib cage, which in turn helps with breathing.