To think this is what osteopaths do?

[FairTurtle]

Spin-off of my earlier thread about back pain...

Does anyone have much experience of osteopaths, and what they're supposed to do, or typically do? I've seen mine 3 times now for lower back pain lasting about 6 weeks. I assume this probably is just what osteopathy is...but he basically quite gently presses into my muscles, and sometimes very gently moves my limbs and applies some pressure. He doesn't seem to have much insight/much to say about what might be causing my issue. But maybe that's normal? Obviously I'm also seeing a physio and doing exercises.

Is this what others' experiences of osteopathy have been? Wondering if it's worth trying to find someone else.

How long did it take you to notice a difference?

It really depends on the problem you have! In my case, 95% of the time I've seen one- I've only needed 1 visit! I might return anywhere from 4-12mths later if needed.

The only time I went weekly or fortnightly (my choice) was with a back problem on one side. I think the max I went was 4 weeks in a row and that was 2yrs ago. Haven't needed one since.

Edited as forgot: There are osteopathy schools which run clinics. When I lived in London, I used to go to the one below, but I'm sure there are others. They had final year students take the history, discuss with their supervisor and do the manipulation. Sometimes the supervisor would come in the room, but generally just the student. From memory, the appointment was slightly longer than a private osteopath, but the cost was much cheaper! The majority of students were older and had already completed a degree/had several years in another job. The place I went also gave more discounts to NHS staff, police, fire, teachers and other professions too.
https://lso.ac.uk/clinic-2/,

@FairTurtle Are you the op who’s seen an osteopath, a chiro and a physio all in the space of 6 wks? Generally you should pick 1 profession and stick to it as how on earth are any of them going to know what’s helping and what isn’t? It’s bad practice for multiple specialities to be treating a patient for the same thing.

What have you been diagnosed with?

@Glowecestrescire "Mechanical back pain". Ofc not had an MRI or anything like that as my GP said it's not necessary. Physio also seemed to think it's mechanical.

This is strange advice? When you experience bodily symptoms and aren't sure, as the patient, which specialty they would fall under, i.e. is it rheumatology or neurology or immunology, seeing multiple specialists (to rule out causes, identify any overlaps and try to get to the root of the problem) isn't detrimental to your health? It's what enables you to treat the issue, and treat it faster?

Surely back pain can be caused and aggravated and sustained by multiple factors, so I'm just hitting it from multiple angles is all. I'm not sure how seeing both a physio (who advises on strength of muscle groups and exercise to do, and whether there's a biomechanical problem) and an osteo, who does more hands on treatment, would be detrimental to my back recovering. Osteo is classed as an "alternative treatment" anyway.

We had terrible problems with our son when he was a baby, i.e. unable to settle, never sleeping for more than an hour or two, always crying, always grumpy. After we'd exhausted the "advice" from the health visitor, we took matters into our own hands and searched out alternative options/ideas. We ended up going to see an osteopath about cranial osteopathy. He was brilliant, very helpful, gave lots of advice, including dietary advice (suggesting things the useless health visitor hadn't but which turned out to be pretty common/widespread advice), and didn't even charge for the first consultation. Suggested another session for cranial osteopathy which would be something reasonably priced (can't really remember but would have been something like £40-£50, made no promises but said it usually works. So we took him back, we were desperate and it seemed a small price to pay to take a chance. He just massaged his head for 10-15 minutes or so (or that's how it seemed to us), our son went in crying and shuffling and soon fell asleep. The guy said he'd do another session free of charge in a couple of weeks if we didn't see a change. We didn't expect much, but there was a definite change - much less grumpy, slept for longer, not as much crying. We didn't need to go back. We also followed his dietary advice as well a month or so later, and that also seemed to make a difference. Still don't know if it was all coincidence or whether there's something genuine in it, but for the modest charge, it was worth the dietary advice alone!

I’ve been to one who just gently massaged and pressed everything, I didn’t find it helpful. But I’ve been to two others who do hard massaging, twisting, cracking etc. the last one sorted a shoulder pain I had for about 6 months in 4 sessions and it’s not come back.

@FairTurtle it’s hardly strange advice, it’s professional advice ,speaking as a physio ! You do realise both osteopaths and physios have to have insurance to treat you, if you had an adverse event how would the insurer know whose treatment contributed? Physios use both hands on and hands off treatments, we all train at a standardised degree qualified level including manual techniques for spinal pain but as physios qualify to work in various diverse areas of the health service, from respiratory to neuro to paeds, there’s a big difference between the newly qualified outpatient physio who is on their first rotation and the advanced practitioner who may have done all sorts of post grad training…and different practitioners may specialise in different ways. However both musculoskeletal-physios and osteopaths are musculoskeletal specialists, osteopaths are not “ alternative” practitioners they are degree qualified, regulated health professionals that are available via the NHS in some areas.

I love my osteopath!!

Whoever said they are con artists is wrong. So patronising.

My osteopath hardly touches me, he is so gentle, and he has helped me so much with agonising chronic regional pain syndrome in my shoulder and arm. I tried physios, nerve painkillers, a steroid injection, a chiropractor, and acupuncture before I found him. He has also pointed out different areas of pain without prior knowledge, eg he asked if my right jaw was painful while touching my neck, and I have tmj in the right side which I'd never told him about.

Osteopathy is actually a proper degree. Someone I know is training to be one and it’s a four year course. They do two years learning medical stuff, techniques etc and then another two in clinic plus more lectures. It’s a properly regulated profession.

That's USA not UK.

I've seen an absolutely brilliant one (he was newly qualified) and really put a lot of effort in.

The other one I saw was shite and did a half arsed effort and charged me £70 for about 5 mins of hands on treatment. I didn't go back.

Oh I should say I never agree to having the cracking techniques done. Especially on the neck.

Light massage, taping, massage gun, diagnosis (hypermobility) and strengthening exercises.

Osteo is classed as an "alternative treatment" anyway OP- where on earth did you read this rubbish? Would you mind providing some medical journals, evidence that makes you say this?

Osteopaths have 4/5 degree and have to be registered on their health board. They aren't reading tea leaves or waving crystals over you!

@CJ0374 Strong reaction. Are you an osteopath? I am literally curious about and confident in osteopathy hence this thread.

"Alternative" or "complementary" does not mean "woo". Sure, the status of osteopathy has risen within the NHS in recent years but pretty sure it's still classed as a complementary therapy, ie not conventional medicine. That's why it's only offered in a few areas under the NHS. Similar to acupuncture (which is also alternative or complementary, and which I swore by for a past ailment and recommend to everyone). Acupuncturists don't wave tea leaves or crystals at you either.

What's a 4/5 degree?

"(The really stupid one is cranial osteopathy. Apparently it's all about the characteristics of the flow of brain fluid in your head. Ok...)"

@VerlynWebbe

It's not stupid if you're suffering from debilitating headaches or similar and the adjustments they make in your skull plates and neck provide relief.

Your body is all about flow. Blood flow, air flow, spinal/brain fluid flow.

And breaking!

Osteopathy in the UK is amazing in my view but I am terrified of chiropractors one of whom caused damage to my neck (fortunately not long lasting), another dislocated my friends elbow.