Osteopathy is a holistic and non-invasive treatment approach that treats the body as a whole and removes restrictions by using manual therapy. This manual therapy involves the manipulation of the joints, bones, and muscles, so they function smoothly together. This method effectively treats issues like back pain without any surgery or over-the-counter medications. 

Back pain can be temporary or ongoing and severe depending upon various factors. Therefore taking medication will only give relief for a short period without treating the origin and cause of back pain. This regular intake of medication for back pain will cause you more harm than good.

On the other hand, osteopaths will help you identify the root cause of pain and prevent the pain from coming back. Choosing the right osteopath for your back is very important. Osteopath at Integral Performance Physio are highly trained to guide you throughout the procedure and help you relieve your pain. 

Types of back pain osteopathy can treat:

1. Muscle spasms, the tension in the back, back strains, chronic back pain, lower back pain, or any generalized ache. 
2. Joint pains, including rheumatic pains, facet joint sprain caused by poor posture. 
3. Back pain caused by injuries, sports, trauma. 
4. Frozen shoulders that affect back and neck.
5. Pregnancy back pain.
6. Sciatica is a condition in which the sciatic nerve in the lower back is compressed. 
7. Lower back pain caused by spinal disc problems. 
8. Osteoarthritis. 

Procedure: 

Your consultant will first perform an initial assessment involving physical examination, getting medical history, doing standard X-rays and lab tests, and then provide you with the treatment options suitable for you. The number of times you need treatment depends upon the severity of the pain. Osteopaths use gentle hand treatment to relieve your pain and recommend rehabilitation exercises, stretching, posture changes, supplements, and heat packs and rest. 

There are almost no side effects of osteopathy, except you’ll have soreness on the place of treatment for a few days. 

Techniques used in osteopathy: 

1. Massage – restrictions in your joints and muscles are removed, and whole-body balance is achieved by applying pressure to the soft tissues. 
2. Spinal manipulation- sudden force or pressure is applied to the spine, making a popping sound and restoring movement.
3. Muscle energy technique- this aims to increase the range of movement of the problematic joint. 
4. Counterstrain technique- the osteopath moves you in a position that has reduced pain for some time and then treats the pain points.
5. Osteopathy includes other techniques like functional technique, cranial osteopathy, and lymphatic pump techniques.