What does an osteopath do?

[Dailychive]

For a few weeks now I've been getting a tingling sensation across my right shoulder blade, and I also get a cold sensation around my ear and that side of my scalp. I think it could be nerve irritation as I've noticed it is worse when my neck is in certain positions. I did mention it to my GP who agreed it was probably down to posture and said maybe an osteopath could help. Before I go making an appointment , could anyone explain what it is an osteopath actually does, how is it different to a physiotherapist and is this the type of thing they could help with?

Are you willing to carry out the advice from either over the next weeks and months or are you hoping for a physical movement from them and everything suddenly feels better?

you might be able to self refer to a physiotherapist ( depending on your health board ) and they should be able to identify possible causes and stretches and movements to alleviate the problem.

MN seems to love osteopaths for their ‘magical’ ability to correct your ‘misalignment’ by cracking joints.

do you spend a lot of time on social media, on your phone and do you hold it in your right hand?

Do they crack joints? I don't want that. I thought they could maybe help loosen something up, if it is nerve irritation then I'm not sure what the treatment is? I certainly don't want to spend money on something that is nonsense. I do use my phone a lot and in the right hand so it's probably to blame.

I saw one yesterday for hip and back pain. He was able to tell me the likely cause and confirm the hip pain is mostly caused by my posture and back and weak core rather than a problem with my hip itself. He did crack my back (but obv they don’t have to if you don’t want) but he did also recommend specific changes and stretches for me to do and also did some massage to loosen up areas.

@Dailychive my osteopath takes a detailed history of the problem. Then he works on tight areas in my back or neck. He also does acupuncture if my back is really bad.

Physiotherapy is (mostly) evidence based for help with joint issues and movement issues. Osteopathy and chiropractic are quackery and a waste of time and money.

My understanding is that it’s chiropractors who crack backs, but pp above had it at an osteo so what do I know! I’ve only been to an osteo and she’s very gentle. Mainly she gets me to lie on my back and she puts hands under my lower back/coccyx as if holding me in alignment, and chats while she waits for my body to release tension. Often you feel it happen. Sometimes she does a bit of massage. I always feel great afterwards but the effect isn’t long lasting. I put it in the same category as massage in my mind. I do it for pain relief and self care, it feels lovely. But for long term change of postural issues I go to Pilates classes and would probably consult a physio if I had tingling like you describe.

Osteos do crack joints sometimes but much less so than chiropractors.
Some people swear by osteos and others chiros.
I have found osteos to be of limited value and chiros caused me pain and frankly one was dangerous. Neither identified what the real issue was but a physio did in the first session - couldn't help but she knew what it was.
Having said that, I went to one physio and realised why some people refer to them as physioterrorists.
NHS physio is useless - not their fault, it's the system and time limit.
Not an easy decision because any of them can cause further problems.
Hope you find a solution.

My osteopath very rarely cracks anything. It's generally very small manipulations that somehow keep me mobile.

He doesn't often give me 'homework' exercises and is very honest about whether he can or can't help me and won't have me keep going back unless he can do something.

My osteopath is basically like a better physio who takes a whole body approach.

She is not a chiropractor and so doesn't do any cracking.

I love her. I come out calmer and also usually bruised from the massaging!

My osteopath resolved a longstanding bout (1year+) of severe tension headaches by softening up the neck and back muscles that were causing it.

They have only started coming back at times of intense stress and then I see her and she stops them in their tracks. I usually go in feeling like a stiff t-rex and come out like my head is on a well-oiled swivel. She never "cracks" anything, it's more applying pressure or tension.

Some pp may scoff at it, but I know I feel physically more mobile and "fluid" after I see her, so I am willing to pay my money for that alone.

An Osteopath specialises in diagnosing and treating the musculoskeletal system ( Skeleton and soft tissues). Osteopaths do a 4 or 5 year MSc in Osteopathic medicine which allows us to diagnose and filter MSK problems in patients. Osteopathy is recommended for the treatment of lower back pain and neck pain by the NICE guidelines (strong evidence) and the treatment of peripheral joint pain (moderate evidence). A typical consultation will include taking your medical history, examination of the area of pain, diagnosis and then treatment using hands or 'manual therapy'...this can be massage, 'rocking' or articulation or clicking 'manipulation'. Some do further education in acupuncture, ergonomics or paeds or sports. It should not be painful. Always look for a registered osteopath on the General Osteopathic Register online.

Osteopathy and chiropractic are quackery and a waste of time and money
This is subjective. An osteopath and chiropractor require many years of training, usually 4-5yrs whereas a physio is normally 3yrs.

I've seen osteopaths in 3 countries. I've found them to be far more holistic than chiropractors. I've also seen physios in 2 countries, but for post op rehab. The osteopath takes a detailed history on the first meeting, then normally movements and stretches to your body to re-align things. They certainly don't always crack things! Normally, 1 session has been sufficient for me and they've told me to only return if needed. Chiropractors on the other hand, wanted me to sign up to X amount of sessions and weren't as holistic. I would certainly give it a try OP!

I wouldn't let an osteopath treat my backpain just as I wouldn't let a fortune teller decide about my future. It's pseudoscience but ofcourse if you really believe it works it might ofcourse.

Having had a year with NHS physio, who then told me my pain was on my head, then in desperation, try an Osteopath, who in two appointments hit the problem and sorted it, definitely not pseudo. Visited today for regular maintenance on my neck and shoulders, issue after decades at a desk, I know who I prefer to use. I did recently have an appointment with a NHS referral.phsio for a bout of Piriformis Syndrome. He looked, moved one leg, then told me to follow the email he sent!! So again, emergency appointment with my Osteopath, who carried out treatment and managed to get my pain under control so I could walk, the physio bloody useless. All of the Osteopaths I've used have been fully trained, take full medical history, very professional and effective. Try each option and see which works for you, proof of the pudding in the eating. Oh, definitely no cracking!

They will give you a good long massage before they crack any joints. They are very skilled and will be able to diagnose what is wrong with you.

Six years ago I had an injury which resulted in back pain. I saw a physio but that didn't help.

A friend recommended an osteopath she'd used. I was very sceptical but booked an appointment because by that stage I was desperate.

I went to my first appointment and the osteopath did a full examination and said she could sort the issue with three appointments. I'd been in chronic pain for 8 months by this stage, so didn't believe her but had nothing to lose.

She did a lot of manipulation, including some "cracking", whilst playing whale music in the stereo, and I had no faith whatsoever for the first two appointments.

In the third appointment something "clicked" and the pain just disappeared. Six years later it has not returned.

Worth every penny.

Agreed.
I have (politely) tried and failed to save friends from wasting their money but as they also believe in the healing powers of bloody tumeric etc I pretty much knew I was wasting my breath.
Now I just nod and smile and say nothing.

It certainly sounds like a nerve irritation OP and an osteopath would help. Tingling and coldness can be a symptoms of nerve irritation from your neck if related to neck movement. An osteopath would examine your neck and do a neurological exam ( check your reflexes, strength and feeling in the upper body)..all painless! Then explain the diagnosis and work on increasing the mobility of your neck and reducing the tightness in your muscles - no clicking required!

Massage and the 'laying on of hands' is what they actually do, there's no evidence base beyond it feeling good for some people.

My husband said the same. He say and osteopath and she just rested her hands over his head (he had lower back problem). He left bewildered and £80 lighter! He used a chiropractor after that

Chiropractors are no better, they have actually killed multiple people never mind how many they've injured. It's not safe at all. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK91735/

Osteopaths are brilliant. When I’ve had back problems they’re the only ones who can sort it. They’re far from quackery!

It's pseudoscience but a very useful enterprise for relieving the worried and credulous of their money every week or so.

Osteos have been very good and hands on with me, as well as giving me further advice on things that will help (specific stretches and general pilates)

Chiropracters are awful. I had a really horrible experience with 2 of them.

Interestingly with physios, i have never seen one without the problem first being diagnosed by a GP or consultant. And they just tell you what to do to help it (like the osteopath did) so i don’t know if a physio would also be able to confirm the source of your nerve pain.

I think we will have to agree to disagree. I do wonder if you have ever been treated by an osteopath. Certainly for muscular back problems and severe spasms nothing has relieved it apart from an osteopath. I’ve never been to a chiropractor so I couldnt comment

have you been treated by an osteopath?