These are only a few of the techniques an Osteopath can use in the treatment of their patients. Whatever the condition treated, osteopaths can offer advice and will encourage preventative care so helping their patients to reach their optimum level of health. These procedures allow the modern osteopath to treat a great variety of condition successfully. These include the adaptive postural strain found in children, stresses resulting from pregnancy or occupation and injuries received during sporting and other activities. Tension headaches often arise due to stiffness in the neck of shoulders and osteopathic treatment can be very effective for this.
Pains caused by degenerative changes also often respond to the more gentle techniques of osteopathy.
Pathological conditions cannot be treated by osteopathy but there is a wide variety of other less obvious problems that respond well to treatment amongst which are asthma, bronchitis and migraine. In some of these instances, the symptoms are caused directly by faults in the musculo-skeletal structure, and in some cases by interference with the normal supply of blood or nerve impulses from the relevant spinal segments. To most people, osteopathy is understood to be a method of manipulation of the spine to relieve back pain. Whilst it can offer effective relief to people suffering in this way, osteopathy is a modern scientifically based system of diagnosis and treatment of faults which occur in the muscles and joints of the body. These faults as well as causing local pain and discomfort can also have wide ranging effects on the well being of the individual.