What do you know about osteopathy?

What can an osteopath do for you?

The first time I had an osteopathic treatment was similar in essence to my first experience on the massage table – I couldn't believe I could feel so amazing! With what I thought of as pretty good posture I never imagined that a pelvis, ever so slightly skewed could have been causing so much strain on my lower back and hips. Joints now working smoothly and a few stretching tips under my belt I was close to pirouetting out the door. So what could an osteopath offer you?

While a massage therapist looks after your muscles, osteopaths look after your bones. Together they make an awesome team. Having your spine & pelvis in proper alignment makes a huge difference to the functioning of your organs, nerves and muscles. So how is it that a spine or pelvis comes to be out of alignment? This is an interesting chicken or the egg cycle as while tight muscles may disrupt the position of your pelvis or spinal joints, a skeleton that is out of alignment may also cause muscles to be sore due to overstretching and improper positioning. This is where osteopaths and massage therapists make a great team. Osteopaths straighten up the scaffolding and massage therapists recondition the supporting muscles, so to speak.

NEWSFLASH! An osteopath can help with bed wetting

So you might think of osteopathy for postural realignment, but would you think of an osteopathic treatment for bed wetting? A misaligned spine can cause all sorts of interesting symptoms due to the compromise of nerves and blood supply. The pelvic floor muscles give control over urination and bowel movements. Did you know, disruption of nerve signalling to this fabulous band of muscles can increase the occurrence of bed wetting or stress incontinence? About 1 in 10 children under the age of 9 have difficulty getting through the night in one pair of pyjamas. Osteopathy, in encouraging early studies, has shown sustained improvement for 90% of the children observed. A study of 20 children showed osteopathy is as effective as medications for bed wetting, however once the kids stopped taking the medications, the improvements stopped too. A trip to the osteopath could potentially save you and your child many nights of disrupted sleep & a ton of washing.

Did you say something about stress incontinence?

Yes, osteopathy can also assist here too. Like Monica on Friends, if pelvic floor muscles are weak, jumping, sneezing or laughing can make ‘a little pee come out’, which is known as stress incontinence. This can be embarrassing and limit choices of activity. You may be surprised to learn up to 13% of Australian men and 37% of women have some type of urinary incontinence. Studies have shown improvement with osteopathic treatment. Would you be happy to try a treatment that is non-invasive and has the potential to ease these symptoms? Seems like an easy yes, if the result is getting back your freedom versus a future prematurely in continence pads.

How can osteopathy help during pregnancy?

Special mention should be made about osteopathic treatment during pregnancy. Osteopaths have gentle methods designed to safely treat pregnant mamas; and treatment during pregnancy makes a lot of sense when you consider how a baby needs to negotiate through the pelvis via the birth canal. Can you imagine if the bones of the spine and pelvis are misaligned this passage can be a much more difficult job? Osteopathy has been found to improve birthing outcomes, pelvic positioning and hormonal and nerve feedback. Coupled with healthy weight gain and the relaxin hormone kicking in, your joints are even more prone to movement. Thus, along with your massage therapist to ease your various aches and pains, your osteopath may also make a big difference to your birthing experience.

Do you already have a favorite osteopath?

Finding a good therapist is gold and totally something you want to tell your friends about. I’d so love to know if you’ve found someone great! You can leave comments to this article here, on the Total Wellbeing Facebook page or send me an email. Love to hear from you!