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?

This is just not true 🫤

My osteopath is brilliant. He is highly trained and knowledgeable. It is mostly massage, sometimes he will crack my joints. It does give relief. He also gives exercises (which I don’t always stick to, which is why I have to go back every year or two 🤣)

My gp has a masters in sports medicine and is an osteopath. I spent years doing physio for my lower back pain with no relief. My gp had it sorted in a few sessions.

It's not an opinion we can agree or disagree on, it's just a fact.

To answer your question; of course not, have you ever been treated by a witch doctor?

Gosh what a terrible indictment of that GP, what's next for them? Homeopathy? Vaccine denial? Does he tell you to bury a potato in the garden under the light fo a full moon for warts too?

He is a very competent and popular gp. Certainly no mention of burying potatoes

I have a brilliant osteopath and it started with a free phone conversation. He suggested I get an X-RAY for my neck and shoulder problems. As I had already had one he said to get the GPs permission to release it.

On the first visit which lasted and hour, he took a very detailed medical history. The. He examined me and then massaged the poor areas. I had cervical spine erosion and he explained it really well. He then got me to do some exercises, gave me two bands an exercise sheet. I had two more sessions with him.

I thought it was good value for money. The charge was 80 for the first session and £70 thereafter.

A poster upthread says that the NICE guidelines quote ‘strong evidence’ for some osteopathy treatments, and ‘moderate evidence’ for others.

I am very sceptical about chiropractic but less so for osteopathy. I see it as similar to physiotherapy, but more helpful because people have to pay for it so they get actual treatment rather than being given a leaflet or sent a link by an NHS physio, which seems to be a common experience (not because physios aren’t useful, just because of NHS constraints presumably).

i go to a chiropractor who uses diversified technique - i don’t allow him to crack my neck and he’s fine with that. he uses trigger point therapy and massage and gives me adjustmenta for my lower back so it is a combination of things - he is excellent so don’t write all chiropractors off -as ever we all should be wary of any health care professional - and GPs and NHS surgeons have done me harm as well as good - but it is far from an all chiropractors are bad situation. but i am pretty good at being able to assess qualifications etc and make informed
choices - largely because when i was first referred to a chiropractor it was a personal recommendation from
numerous people and he was excellent - so when i then went to others i would know almost instantly whether they were kosher or not.

Have you ever seen an Osteopath hamsterchump?
I wonder why and where your opinions come from? I've been practising as an Osteopath for over 25 years now with a BSc, MSc, PgCerts. I have done and do work privately and employed by Nuffield, NHS, premiership and international football teams and large financial corporations and manufacturers. Certainly prior to 1980's, anyone could call themselves an Osteopath hence there was a huge variation in the skill, effectiveness and appropriateness of treatment. Since that time, 'Osteopath' has been a protected title requiring examinations, insurance, revalidation every year. Most Osteopaths do the first 2 years of their 5 year degree studying the exact same preclinical medicine (anatomy, physiology and path) with medical students, then filter into osteopathy studies for years 3-5.

I have already answered this, of course not. Have you ever seen a witch doctor?

Why not become a private physiotherapist and use evidence based medicine instead of quackery? Osteopathy is based on pseudoscience, it is fuelled by Charlatans preying on the credulous like Chiropractic which has actually killed multiple people (see my earlier link).

I used to feel the same (complete skeptic or more rightly I now think just misinformed) until my physio suggested they couldn't do much more and suggested an osteopath should look at my shoulder.

My basic understanding is that osteopaths look at what is causing the symptom rather than just treating the symptom. She was brilliant, explained everything in so much detail and after being in pain and unable to do sport for a year or so she fixed it within about 5/6 sessions. Yes I had to pay for those sessions but for me it was absolutely worth it. I walked out each time in no pain and able to move my arm properly. I never felt she was just seeing me to be paid.

So to the poster above who mentioned witchcraft, yes it was hard to understand but it worked, the pain went and movement returned. She gave me rational explanations for what she was doing which is more than can be said for some NHS clinicians (I am absolutely pro mainstream medicine but some people are better at it than others). I think that the NHS also might actually employ some osteopaths and it is meant to be quite hard to actually qualify as one. I looked up my osteopaths own qualifications and didn't have any doubts that she knew what she was doing. Maybe don't knock it until you try it? I would have no hesitation to go again.

I think without it I might have been languishing on a long NHS orthopaedic waiting list somewhere.

OP if you can afford it and have a personal recommendation of an osteopath that someone has used i would give it a go.

Are you confusing osteopath with chiropractor?

My Osteopath is NHS trained for ten years before going private. She is like a physio with a whole body approach.

No clicking, no laying on of hands, just rigorous massage and exercises and assessnent of my body.

No, but I am apparently one! Who knew.. It pays great, I've travelled the world with it as a career and even and taught many medical students their modules on MSK medicine as part of their MBBS at University. The witchcraft is being spread. Watch out.🙄

Super narrow minded. Osteopath helped me with headache syndrome that no other helped with.

Have you had a bad experience?

If you can self-refer to an NHS physio I'd say try that. IME anyway, they're skilled and knowledgeable. They fixed a shin injury and a rotator cuff injury for me in a few sessions, although I had to do exercises at home as well.

I had a sports injury and was recommended an osteopath and he was great. He didn't crack my back or lay on hands. He talked about my IT band, checked I was doing my post run stretches correctly, gave me a sports massage and gave me a walk /run schedule to get back to running. It wasn't any less scientific than the physiotherapy that I have had.

My GP who has all the proper scientific qualifications, offers an appointment in four weeks time, refers you to the local Physio team who offer a generic AI physio form and a ten minute online video call with a physio. Who then emails you with a list of generic exercises to do. It might be science based but it isn't as effective. The science seemed to be more about budgeting than treatment.

Some of the descriptions of osteopaths here are weird. Maybe there are different types? The one I go to is a sports injury specialist, and he's very good. It's deep tissue massage, stretches, plus recommended exercises. No cracking of any kind. I've never had great experiences with physio (seems to be largely based around handing me a printed web page of exercises), and prefer the osteopath. Maybe I've just been very lucky and got a good one. There's no woo aspect at all - I don't recognise that at all.

I know it pays great, Charlatans always get theirs, it's all they care about.

The coldness behind the ear would concern me that it’s related to the occipital or trigemenial nerves. I would see a pain specialist or neurologist to rule out any non muscular issues.

Some strong feelings there @hamsterchump, tell us how you really feel 😂.

I've got Eustachian Tube dysfunction (ears feel full, unequalised, sometimes uncomfortable). I've seen the GP, been referred to an ENT consultant, but nothing worked. 6 years later, I thought I may as well give an osteopath a go, what did I have to lose? And after 1 session, one ear had drained. I can feel my ears draining down my throat while she's working, and I have no concerns over her (extensive) qualifications.

I've previously seen an osteopath for a bad back (which I suspected of being muscular), sure enough, a bit of muscle manipulation and massage, and having almost crawled into the appointment, I felt I could jog home!

DD had cranial osteopathy as a newborn for colic, it worked wonders, and allowed us all some sleep and far fewer tears.

@hamsterchump ..Thats is incredibly rude and uneducated. I find it really offensive that you state that all I care about is money. If that was the case I would work purely in my private practice..instead I work part time our local medical school in education and in conjunction with our local GP and MSK service. You sound really angry and a real chump.