OSTEOPATHY AND CHIROPRACTIC

Physical manipulation has been used therapeutically in almost every culture for many centuries: it is depicted in cave drawings that are 5,000 years old. In Europe during the Middle Ages, 'bonesetters' used traditional methods of massage and manipulation that were passed on from father to son in the face of opposition from other medical practitioners, such as physicians and surgeons.

These therapies are based on the use of the therapist's hands to treat disorders of the skeleton and muscles, and their value is being increasingly recognized by conventionally trained doctors.

Osteopathy
Today, osteopaths - who are statutorily registered practitioners - believe that human beings, and other animals, function as a whole, and that all their physical, mental and emotional features are interrelated. Health means that all three are in balance. As a result, adjustments to the physical body can restore health if this balance is disturbed. Osteopathic treatment aims not only to correct any imbalance, but also to maintain health by means of regular check-ups to detect any dysfunction and restore balance before any disease occurs.

Osteopaths are able to employ a range of different techniques, depending on their training and specialization. Gentle vibration, massage and various degrees of manipulation are used to mobilize the joints, to improve the function of soft tissue and to enhance the circulation by relaxing the muscless. As a result more oxygen and other nutrients can be supplied to the tissues and the removal of waste products becomes more efficient. Throughout treatment, osteopaths aim to treat the whole body rather than just the local area of pain or discomfort.

Massage, gentle vibration and manipulation can all help improve circulation, movement of the joints and the removal of waste products from the body.

Rolfing and Hellerwork
Rolfing focuses on the manipulation of the connective tissue by deep massage, to restore a balanced alignment of the body. Breathing problems, pain in muscles and joints and problems with posture can all benefit. Avoid this therapy if you have osteoporosis, any inflammation of the skin or joints, an organic disease such as cancer or low pain threshold.

Hellerwork is based on rolfing, but also includes manipulation and attention to the way you move, often by using video feedback. It can be useful in treating headaches, pain affecting muscles and joints and stress-related conditions.

Chiropractic
It was believed that any damage to, disease or misalignment of the bones of the spine affects the health of the rest of the body. In a healthy state, these bones surround and protect the spinal cord itself an provide protection for the nerves that extend from the spinal cord to all parts of th body. In addition, the bones provide the skeletal attachments for many of the major muscles of the body.

The spine, however, is also flexible structure, and there are many joints between the individual bones. Movement can be restricted by injury, which causes the joints to become less flexible. Symptoms include stiffness and pain, and these are relieved in chiropractic by very precise adjustments to individual vertebrae or to segments of the spine.

The Consultation
Both osteopaths and chiropractors will take a careful history of both the current problem and your general health. This will be followed by a physical examination and sometimes also by X-ray examination. Treatment follows if the therapist concludes that osteopath or chiropractic would be beneficial.

Conditions that can be helped by manipulative treatment include:

• General back pain, including some causes of sciatica (pain along the length of the sciatic nerve that extends from the lower part of the spine and passes down through the buttock, back of th thigh, calf and into the foot).
• Muscular pain in the neck, shoulder or upper arm, either from chronic illness or after an injury, including whiplash, when the head and neck are abruptly jerked, often as the result of a traffic accident.
• Joint pain, from sprains and strains, some forms of arthritis and problems with mobility in the jaw point.
• Headaches and sinus pains.
• Postural and occupational stresses, including repetitive strain injury.
• Some digestive or respiratory disorders, including asthma.

This list is not intended to be comprehensive. It is best to make a preliminary enquiry about your own condition, or ask your doctor's advice.

Manipulative therapists should be avoided if you have:

• Any disorder in which the bones are diseased or have been weakened, such as osteoporosis, bone cancer or a recent fracture.
• Any condition causing severe pressure on the spinal cord, such as a tumour or broken back.
• Any condition in which your joints are severely inflammed, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
• Any infection of the spine or spinal cord.

Conditions that can be helped by cranial osteopathy include:

• Symptoms that originated from an injury to the head or pelvis, including the after-effects of meningitis.
• Chronic fatigue syndrome, or other conditions in which healing is delayed or inadequate, such as when the immune system is suppressed.
• Headaches, painful sinuses or reduced mobility of the jaw point.
• Tinnitus, or recurrent infections of the inner ear.
• Some digestive problems.

This list is not intended to be comprehensive . It is best to make a preliminary enquiry about your own condition or ask your doctor's advice.

Osteopathy may help to relieve back pain and headaches.

Cranial Osteopathy
William Garner Sutherland, an American osteopath, developed cranial osteopath in th 1930s. He observed that the different bones of the skull, which are mobile at birth to allow the delivery of a baby's head through the narrow birth canal, appear to retain some capacity for movement throughout life. This is contrary to conventional thought. He believed that skull bones move in response to the rhythmic flow of the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, and because the bones of the skull can move, the circulation of the fluid may be interrupted.

After experimenting on himelf, Sutherland concluded that very gentle manipulation of the skull restores the normal circulation within the skull. Although orthodox medical practitioners dismissed these theories, recent research suggests there may be some scientific basis to the practice. Cranial osteopathy, when administered by a trained practitioner, is very safe and, because it is so gentle, presents no risk to fragile bones. Although used most frequently on children, cranial osteopathy can benefit people of all ages.