More than with medical treatment, an Osteopath sees
his work as a collaboration with the patient. Many people go to an
Osteopath to "put bones/joints/discs back into
place". In reality the aim of the osteopath is to help you to
understanding your situation and relieve your discomfort. Most of
all he will try to FIND THE CAUSE OF YOUR PROBLEM AND THE WAY TO
AVOID IT IN THE FUTURE
An Osteopath can treat soft tissues and joints, and
can improve the body's mobility, but if you do not eliminate the
cause of your suffering, do not change your life style, do not
start doing regular exercises or sport then you are taking a risk of
incomplete recovery or of the problem re-occurring in the
future.
Now about the treatment itself
Pain At the beginning of each
session the Senior Clinical Tutor at The London College of Osteopathic
Medicine, Dr. C.S.Dutton always explain 2 rules to his
patient:"The first is that if I ask you to do anything and
it hurts - you stop doing it, and the other is that if I am doing
anything that hurts - you tell me and I will stop doing
it".This is to emphasize that osteopathic treatment should
have minimum discomfort for the patient. We are talking about
unpleasant sharp pain. There can be, however, a pleasant pain from
kneading or stretching which is acceptable if it's not too
uncomfortable.
Palpation - touching The main
method of diagnosis in Osteopathy is palpation - feeling with one's
hands and fingertips. Often an osteopath needs to palpate many parts
of the body located away from the painful area. This is also a part
of the diagnostic process. There is often tightness of thigh and
buttock muscles associated with spinal problems. Please ask for an
explanation from your osteopath if you are not sure why you are
being touched in a certain area.
There are also methods of treatment of pelvic muscles and
coccyx (tail-bone) which involve internal palpation and
manipulation. Again, this should be proceeded by an explanation,
obtaining a patient's permission and if appropriate, the offer of a
chaperone.
Manipulation and a
"click" Joint manipulation is one of the
very effective methods of osteopathic treatment (also widely used in
chiropractic and other manual therapies). The essence of it is a
short quick movement of the joint after suitable positioning with
the aim of improving the joint mobility. Often (but by no means
always!) it is accompanied by a characteristic "click" or
"pop". Patients are often concerned with the sound and
many ask it's origin. There is no definite answer to that question.
Historically the sound was explained by formation of a gas
bubble (possibly Nitrogen) which forms in the joint cavity as a
result of sudden negative pressure in it during the manipulation.
There are opinions that the sound is created by the releasing of a
jammed joint or cartilage. Other theories postulate the sound
originates from releasing trapped joint lining or from the movement
of a piece of disc material. A recently favoured theory is that the
sudden joint movement stretches and "re-sets" an
associated muscle that has been in spasm.
Equally, there are many theories as to why this should
improve the patient.
None of those theories have sound scientific proof.
Practice shows that a joint manipulation accompanied by
"click" can relieve the patient's suffering. On the other
hand brilliant results are often achieved without any sound or
"click" at all. So do not expect "clicks" and
"pops" on each treatment session - you have come to get an
effective and safe treatment not hear "music" played by a
practitioner on your spine!
If, on the other hand, you can't stand the sound of
manipulation you'd better tell your osteopath and s/he will use
other suitable techniques to treat you without manipulating your
joints.
The way to help your
osteopath
The best way to help an osteopath
to treat you is to relax and to only move when asked. Many patients
try to anticipate the osteopath by turning their body or moving an
arm or leg to a helpful position. It is better not to - your
osteopath has been polishing his/her skills for quite a while and
you will be asked to turn or move your body in a certain way if your
help is needed.
All you need to do - is to relax and enjoy the treatment.
Getting worse after the
treatment
According to different opinions 50% to 90% of patients
experience some degree of reaction after manual treatment. It may
happen during the session, immediately after it's finished or, more
commonly, next morning or the following 1-2 days. It can manifest
itself by a spread in the area of pain, increased stiffness, the
appearanceof a new or unusual discomfort or general unwellness
("as though I had been run over by a bus"). This reaction
is usually considered a normal event and in the majority of cases an
improvement follows. You should tell your osteopath about it on your
next visit, especially if it was unusually uncomfortable and/or
lasted longer than 2-3 days.
If after treatment your reaction is unbearable or the condition
is getting progressively worse you should URGENTLY call your
osteopath and get it sorted out (you may need an extra appointment)
or you should contact a doctor. Very often a small dose of pain
killers is all that you will need .