What happens in Osteopathy?

Your first appointment

A full case history is required. The osteopath will ask basic details such as date of birth, your occupation and active hobbies. These are important, as a 25 year old bricklayer who plays football twice a week will need different rehabilitation from a 55 year old accountant who plays bridge once a week and obviously leads a much more sedentary lifestyle.

Full details of the problem you have come in for are then taken:

• when and how it started
• what factors aggravate or relieve the pain
• any other treatments which have been given
• any medical tests carried out.

Your previous medical history is also important, as a badly broken leg which has healed shortened may be a factor in the cause of your back pain, due to the imbalance produced across the pelvis.

For the next stage patients are then normally asked to undress to underwear so that the joints, muscles and posture can be examined. If you do not wish to undress, or would prefer to have someone in the room with you, please tell your osteopath.

Active and passive movements are examined, and neurological tests such as reflexes are carried out as necessary. Your osteopath will then tell you what they think the problem is and out line the treatment which may help. Occasionally at this point the consultation may end if the osteopath feels that more tests are required before starting the treatment, or if your case is not suitable for osteopathic treatment. Assuming your are suitable, a short treatment will be carried out on your first visit.

Second and subsequent treatment takes approximately 30 minutes and involves a quick re-examination followed by a full treatment.

The Osteopathic Treatment

Osteopathic treatment is “hands on” and varies from the barely perceptible feeling of cranial osteopathy via the comfortable stretching of muscle and ligament stretching, to the slightly more dramatic joint manipulation. This is called high- velocity thrust treatment (HVT) and produces the infamous click in the joints. A popular misconception is that the joint has been out of place, and the click puts it back in. this is not the case at all.

Each synovial joint in the body has fluid in between the bones which facilitates easy movement. If the joint becomes jarred, or the overlying muscles go into a spasm, the bones encroach on each other, squeezing the fluid to the edges. This can create a suction effect similar to two wet plates sticking to each other.

The HVT treatment puts the joint in position and then applies a very quick pressure to it, over a short range of movement. The speed of the movement opens the joint space, releasing the pressure and producing the characteristic popping noise. There is a reflex relaxation on the surrounding muscles, so the result is a much more mobile joint whose muscle is no longer in a spasm. The whole process is very quick, only moderately uncomfortable, and produces dramatic improvement.

On your return appointments you are asked about your progress. The majority of patients see good improvements in their symptoms within three treatment sessions. If this is not happening then you may be referred back to your GP for further tests.

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Whitley Bay Osteopathic Centre, 65 Whitley Road, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, NE26 2EP

Clients visit us from across the North East - Newcastle, South Shields, Sunderland, Gosforth, Tynemouth, Morpeth, Alnwick, Northumberland.