Osteopathy is a system of diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of medical conditions. Osteopathy works with the structure and function of the body, and is based on the principle that the well-being of an individual depends on the integration of all the working parts.
To an osteopath, for your body to work well, its structure must also work well. So osteopaths work to restore your body to a state of balance, where possible without the use of drugs or surgery. Osteopaths use physical manipulation, stretching and various effective techniques to increase the mobility of joints, to relieve muscle tension, to enhance the blood and nerve supply to tissues, and to help your body’s own healing mechanisms. Osteopaths also provide advice on posture and exercise to aid recovery, promote health and prevent symptoms recurring.
All Osteopaths in the UK are regulated by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC). It is against the law for anyone to call themselves an Osteopath unless they are registered with the GOsC, which sets and promotes high standards of competency, conduct and safety.
Osteopaths’ patients include sports people, pregnant women, the young, older people, manual workers and office professionals. Clients seek treatment from osteopaths for a wide variety of conditions, including back pain, repetitive strain injury, changes to posture in pregnancy, postural problems caused by driving or work strain, the pain of arthritis and sports injuries. Most common problems that are treated by osteopaths include:
- Lower neck and back pain
- Headaches and migraines
- Disc injuries including sciatica
- Arthritic pain
- Sports injuries
- Post-traumatic injuries – Whiplash
- Shoulder conditions - Rotator cuff syndrome
- Muscle tension and tears
Whiplash is a term used to describe an injury most commonly occurring to the neck region. The actual mechanism behind such an injury is that of a rapid acceleration and deceleration occurring within moments of each other. This is usually a result of a rear end collision. This can also be the mechanism of injury behind some types of low back injury if a lap type seat belt is worn. It is, therefore, not really limited to the neck region at all.
In the neck, the inertia of the head is in direct contrast to the sudden movement of the body, causing the hyperextension of the neck with a reflex shortening of the muscles on the front of the neck and throat. This reflex shortening is one of the many ways the body attempts to protect us.
The exact mechanism of injury is variable from person to person although the hyperextension - hyperflexion feature is consistent. Often there is a side bending or a rotational component involved which tends to complicate the injury and create a cascade of symptoms that can hardly be explained by the seemingly insignificant "fender-bender."
Symptoms experienced by the injured person can be immediately experienced or they can come on gradually taking a few days, weeks or months to manifest completely. The injured party may even perceive themselves to be uninjured initially, having a few symptom-free days. A whiplash of the neck region rarely, if ever, results in symptoms exclusively at the neck, rather the entire body will experience the repercussions of the injury.
In Osteopathy it is believed that the head and upper neck dictate to the rest of the body; housing the brain and spinal cord. Rolin Becker (1997, Life in Motion, Rudra Press, Portland, Oregon) states that the total body physiology "from the soles of the feet to the top of the head is subjected to the whiplash energies and all of the body physiology is influenced by the accident."
We often find ourselves successfully treating clients with whiplash who have tried other avenues of treatment, with no result.