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Autumn 2002 Osteopathy Awareness Week What About A Grease & Oil Change? The second week in April each year has been chosen to be Osteopathy Awareness Week. As the name suggests the week is dedicated to letting people know about the benefits of Osteopathy. Each year a particular theme is chosen around which an information campaign is built. This year the theme is
We all know that regular servicing of our cars helps to ensure trouble free motoring and can save us a lot of money in repair bills. We should have the same attitude to our bodies but few people do. The difference between our cars and our bodies is that our cars cannot repair themselves. Cut yourself, tear a muscle, break a bone and the body’s self repair mechanisms go into action. Strain your back or your neck or any of your other joints and again the body takes action to sort out the problem as best it can. But note the words "AS BEST IT CAN". In many cases when we strain ourselves in accidents and falls or when lifting the body cannot sort itself out so instead it adapts itself to the strain and in doing so minimises the effects of that strain. This results in the pain diminishing and, in some cases, disappearing altogether. Because of this many people, after injuring themselves, don’t bother to seek help but wait to see if the pain will go away on it’s own. And quite often it does. But this does not mean that the problem has been resolved, only that it has now been masked. Then when their back or neck suddenly gets acutely painful they will say to their osteopath, "How could this happen, I didn’t do anything?" Which is exactly right. They didn’t do anything when they had minor hurts but now, after several minor hurts that the body is coping with, it can’t cope any more. And the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back can be as simple as bending down to pick something up or sleeping in a strange bed with a different to normal thickness of pillow. Regular osteopathic check ups 2 to 4 times a year will not guarantee that you won’t hurt yourself if something fairly traumatic occurs but it will ensure that you won’t get acute consequences to minor events. And if you have regular check ups and then have a major trauma it will be much easier to treat and you will recover much quicker. Also, quite often when you pick up your car after a service you notice immediately how much better it is running. Because the deterioration has been slow we just don’t notice it until it’s serviced. Well it’s the same with our bodies. Patients often comment on how much better they are moving after a check up and how much better they feel in themselves. Most of us get into a routine of regular dental check ups so why not establish a similar routine of regular musculoskeletal check ups. And this should include children too. Children’s bodies are definitely more resilient than adult ones but they are also traumatised a lot more and over time it takes it’s toll. Osteopaths are often told by patients that they can remember having back pain, or neck pain or headaches right back into their childhood and in most case they did not have any treatment when the problem started. Many of them wouldn’t even have told their parents because they would have imagined that their aches and pains were quite natural and that everyone had them. So again, as with teeth, give your child a good start in life by ensuring that they get regular osteopathic tune ups to prevent long term musculoskeletal aches and pains. Back
Pain Won’t A recent study in Britain showed that 75% of people presenting to their GP with low back pain still had their back problem one year later. This study supersedes a previous study nearly 20 years old. Again carried out in Britain this earlier study came to the conclusion that 90% of low back pain will clear up on it’s own within three months if simply left untreated. This particular study was jumped on by doctors around the world and has been the rule of thumb ever since. Unfortunately the study was completely flawed. It was based on the evidence of one GP practice where a record was made of all patients presenting with low back pain. When they did not return for further treatment it was assumed that their problem had resolved. In this recent study those presenting with low back pain to two different GP practices were actively followed up for 12 months. After three months only 21% had cleared up and after one year only 25% were free of their pain. This is what we as Osteopaths have known all along. Hang on and wait for your back problem to clear on it’s own and chances are it won’t. The message is clear. Get some treatment before your problem becomes chronic. Some
Misconceptions Osteopaths only treat bones. Because osteo means bone people often think that Osteopaths do not deal with muscular problems. This could not be further from the truth. Muscles in fact move bones and Osteopaths work on the muscles in order to normalise the movement of the joints between the bones. Osteopaths only treat bad backs. Because Osteopathy is so successful in treating back and neck problems this is what it is best known for. But Osteopaths treat all parts of the musculo-skeletal system including problems of the shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, knees, ankles and feet as well as back related chest and abdominal pain and the pain of arthritis. Osteopathy is also an extremely effective treatment for headaches and migraines. It can ease period pains and help enormously with easing back pain during and after pregnancy. Children in particular respond well to Osteopathic treatment. Regular periodic Osteopathic check ups should be a vital part of every growing child’s health care program. Insurers will not pay for my treatment if I don’t have a letter of referral from my doctor This is not correct. Private Health Funds, Motor Accidents Insurance and Workers Compensation Insurers will pay for Osteopathic treatment without a letter of referral from a medical practitioner. Regular Activity,
For a long time we have been given the impression that only vigorous exercise will do us any good but the evidence now clearly shows that it is regular moderate activity that does us most good. It provides us with all the benefits of vigorous exercise without the danger of injuring ourselves. Moderate exercise can simply be walking for half an hour a day with one or more small hills included. Walking up the stairs instead of taking the lift, walking to the post box instead of jumping in the car, a bit of regular gardening and even throwing away the TV remote control so that we have to get up to change the volume or the channel can be of benefit. But what are the benefits? Well virtually every aspect of our health can benefit from regular activity. Those who take regular moderate exercise tend to live longer, have better overall health and feel better in themselves. There is now clear evidence that regular activity will decrease blood pressure and protect against heart disease. It will help prevent mature onset diabetes and improve the condition of those who already have it. It helps with memory and other mental activities and can ease depression. Regular activity throughout life is the best protection against osteoporosis as it maintains strong, healthy bones. The pain and stiffness of arthritis can improve with regular moderate exercise and there is even evidence to suggest that cancers can be stopped in the early stages by regular moderate exercise. So with all these benefits why would someone not take regular gentle exercise? Well for some it might be that they are simply too uncomfortable. Most people who are in pain and can’t be active as a result soon notice how quickly their energy levels drop and how they start to feel low or even depressed. Obviously being in pain can give rise to depression but this can be magnified by the lack of physical activity. This is where osteopathic treatment can be of immense benefit not only in helping people to feel more comfortable but also by helping them improve their health generally by being able to be physically active again. Back
Pain Probably Not A recent study of the literature on the connection between body weight and back pain shows only a weak connection. So reduce your weight to help your health but don’t rely on this alone to resolve your back pain.
"To find health should be the object of the Doctor, anyone can find disease." Dr Andrew Taylor Still,
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