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What is pain?
Pain is a warning signal that something is wrong.
It is one of the body’s natural defense
mechanisms to alert you to a problem but also
it is there to stop you from damaging your body
further. Look on it as a red traffic light.
Osteopaths diagnose the cause of pain and can
often do a great deal to help reduce the level
of your pain and suffering.
But what directly causes the pain? Often, it
is the result of localized swelling of injured
tissue, which creates pressure on nerves.
Your pain
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Low back pain |
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Neck pain |
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Headaches |
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Rheumatic pain |
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Period pain |
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Pain from injury |
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Sports injury |
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Arthritic pain |
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Joint stiffness |
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Leg pain |
The skilled techniques of osteopathy can allow
you a speedy return to normal activity. If you
have had the pain for a long time and other forms
of treatment have not helped, osteopathic treatment
may be beneficial, although it may require time
and patience. The osteopath will look at how your
whole body functions and so be able to reduce
strain on the painful area caused by mechanical
problems elsewhere.
There are times when it is wise for you to take
medication as well as receiving osteopathic treatment.
Osteopaths frequently work in close co-operation
with your doctor.
Why an Osteopath?
Osteopaths help to reduce tissue inflammation
by a number of methods ranging from massage of
muscles and connective tissues to manipulation
and stretching of joints
This helps to reduce muscle spasm and increase
mobility, helping to create a healthier state
in which damaged tissues can heal.
Much long-term, recurrent pain is caused by degenerative
changes to the body's framework. Nobody can reverse
the process of ageing. However, osteopathic treatment
using gentle, manual techniques on joints, muscles
and ligaments may often ease pain, reduce swelling
and improve the mobility and range of joint movement.
Pain control is an important part of treatment
and osteopaths give guidance on simple self help
methods to use at home.
Remember...
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Osteopaths are skilled
health care professionals |
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Osteopaths deal with pain every
day. |
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UK osteopaths treat six million
people every year who are suffering from pain. |
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Osteopaths can help you both
with treatment and advice on self-help. |
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Osteopaths treat acute pain.
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Osteopaths treat chronic pain
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Osteopaths treat to prevent
pain recurring. |
Visiting an osteopath
When you visit an osteopath for the first time
a full case history will be taken and you will
be given an examination.
You will normally be asked to remove some of
your clothing and to perform a simple series of
movements. The osteopath will then use his or
her highly developed sense of touch, called palpation,
to identify any points of weakness or excessive
strain throughout the body.
The osteopath may need additional investigations
such as x-ray or blood tests. This will allow
a full diagnosis and suitable treatment plan to
be developed with you. Osteopathy is patient centred,
which means the treatment is geared to you as
an individual.
Insurance
Many private health insurance schemes give benefit
for osteopathic treatment. Some companies will
reimburse the total fee that you have paid to
the osteopath, some only a percentage. Most companies
require a GP or specialist referral. All insurance
companies have help lines to explain your actual
benefit and methods of claiming.
Osteopathy and patient protection
Osteopaths are trained to recognize and treat
many causes of pain. Osteopathy is an established
system of diagnosis and manual treatment, which
is recognized by the British Medical Association
as a discrete clinical discipline.
For the last sixty years, osteopaths have worked
within a system of voluntary regulation that set
standards of training practice.
In 1993, osteopathy became the first major complementary
health care profession to be accorded statutory
recognition under the 1993 Osteopaths Act. This
has culminated in the opening of the Statutory
Register of Osteopaths by the General Osteopathic
Council in May 1998. Only those practitioners
able to show that they have been in safe and competent
practice of osteopathy will be allowed onto the
register and in the future all osteopaths will
be trained to the same high rigorous standards.
All osteopaths will need to have medical malpractice
insurance and to follow a strict code of conduct.
Patients will have the same safeguards as when
currently they consult a doctor or dentist.
If you have other questions that we have not
answered here, don't hesitate to contact
us!.
Further Information
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