do i trust my osteopath

[essexgirl58]

When I first went to the osteopath for my back i was told I had sciatica from a doctor. Osteopath disagreed and said it was a tight muscle. Then I asked if i should have an MRI due to the fact that back was still painful and was told no wont show up anything on a scan. My GP did actually send me for MRI and it showed up a spine issue bulging disc. The osteopath was wrong to say nothing would show up.

Also I was told not to do my exercise class as too high impac and not to run for a bus etc. My GP said my exercise class is fine and I can do it gently.

I now take anyting the osteopath says with a pinch of salt

Anyone can be wrong. GPs are wrong all the time

But I don't know how hard that one was to spot. If they've helped you and are properly accredited I'd keep going.

I have been having the same thoughts recently... no pain improvement with osteo, went to see physio who wouldn't touch me. Sent me for 2 MRIs... turns out I have deformed hips, a multiple fractured sacrum, a damaged pubis... entire pelvic area fooked and awaiting treatment.

Inwould stop doing osteo for now OP

Yes I do not really trust my osteopath I am not going back, As for relief. My back is stiff and a bit sore rather than painful so I do not need to take painkillers most of the time. I try to sleep on my back wich I think is better for the back but I have trouble sleeping on my back and then turn to the side and fall asleep faster. I told the osteopath and she said sleeping on your back is a general overview. Then she said I would say you can sleep on your side. Then she said I would not say that to every patient, and it differes from person to person as to whether they have to sleep on their back. Then she said I sleep on my back and I nearly said but you do not have back issues

what the hell

@Ikeameatballs

I wouldn’t trust an osteopath or chiropractor. I think there is very little evidence base for a lot of what they do that is over and above placebo/sports massage/gentle exercise.

If you are happy to pay them on that basis then fine. Otherwise stop.

Why wouldn't you trust them? My osteopath did a 4-year professional qualification, the same duration as my physio.

OP I use a heat pad a lot. I put ice on my hip and ankle and heat on my back - I could generate my own electricity! The heat does help, sometimes only at the time, sometimes for longer. I have an electric XXL one from Beurer. I don't think there is any danger you can use it too much, except for getting mild burn marks on your back!

My osteopath is excellent.

@essexgirl58 My next appointment with the doc is on Monday. I’m hoping we can up the ante and maybe try steroid injections.

^I told the osteopath and she said sleeping on your back is a general overview. Then she said I would say you can sleep on your side. Then she said I would not say that to every patient, and it differes from person to person as to whether they have to sleep on their back. Then she said I sleep on my back and I nearly said but you do not have back issues

what the hell^

Maybe she doesn’t have back issues because she sleeps on her back?

I don’t think that you should return to your osteopath, you don’t trust her and that’s not good for your relationship. I don’t care if you trust her or Billy from the pub, I care that your reasoning for not trusting her is flawed and your cognitive dissonance is impairing your judgment.
Ask 10 different musculoskeletal specialists what is wrong with you and you will get 10 answers that vary massively and 10 different treatment plans.

Just choose a specialist in real life not a load of randoms from the internet.

@Wailywailywaily

^I told the osteopath and she said sleeping on your back is a general overview. Then she said I would say you can sleep on your side. Then she said I would not say that to every patient, and it differes from person to person as to whether they have to sleep on their back. Then she said I sleep on my back and I nearly said but you do not have back issues

what the hell^

Maybe she doesn’t have back issues because she sleeps on her back?

I don’t think that you should return to your osteopath, you don’t trust her and that’s not good for your relationship. I don’t care if you trust her or Billy from the pub, I care that your reasoning for not trusting her is flawed and your cognitive dissonance is impairing your judgment.
Ask 10 different musculoskeletal specialists what is wrong with you and you will get 10 answers that vary massively and 10 different treatment plans.

Just choose a specialist in real life not a load of randoms from the internet.

sorry I meant to say she sleeps on her side not her back. Chosing a specialist in real life is not easy. I did find one in real life but they could not accommodate me. Sometimes you are lucky to find medica from searching. I was lucky to find an excellent dentist from just a random search online when I was unhappy with the one I had been to. The same I hope will be the case with the osteopath. I have one to speak to to get some information so I will see how that goes

What a complete waste of money.....why are you not under the care of a physio?

You are getting all confused for no reason at all.

You dint trust the osteopath. Don’t go back. You end up questioning anything and everything they are telling you and you are getting more and more anxious about it.

So stop that.

Go and find an acupuncturist (that’s in the NICE guidelines). See what your consultant is saying. And keep doing some form of exercise (again in the NICE guidelines) but I’d advise you to either find a physio to have specific exercise for you and/or tell the instructor of whatever class you are doing about your back pain.
The best thing you can do right now is to do some GENTLE stretches in the morning when you are getting up. And keep moving (not exercising) during the day. The worst thing you can do is stay seated for long periods of time.

Regarding heat. Heat helps yes by simply helping those muscles to relax. You are not supposed to sleep with heat pads on. That’s because the heat pack can be quite hot and if you lie on them you might end up burning yourself (all written in the labels btw). So yes some people do keep them on. And depending on the level of pain (eg pain waking you up) some people might find it’s worth the risk. From the description of your pain, I’d avoid that atm.

@Kitkat151

What a complete waste of money.....why are you not under the care of a physio?

Because I was and still am waiting for the NHS to provide me with a physio and I ha no idea you could get private physios. I just went to an osteopath because that is what most people ddo

The exercises my current osteopath has given me to do are

Bring both knees up to chest and hold for one minute. Do this 3 times

And last of all this one, I am not sure how useful this last one is

I have been told to do these three exercises each day every day. I forgot to do them on the day of my last appointment and she said its ok you do not have to do them in the morning. You can do them at night. She said do not do any other exercises except these.

Anyway tomorrow I am calling the new place and having a chat with them to see what they suggest.

Some osteopaths are highly trained with an excellent knowledge of anatomy and proven track record in successfully treating certain conditions. They train for at least three years and there is a serious accreditation process. However that doesn't mean they have to be accredited or that they're all worth going to.

@essexgirl58 you are not supposed to know if they are any good or not.
You are supposed to trust the practitioner you are seeing.

Stop going on about what that osteopath told you. You don’t trust a word coming out of their mouth.

(Fwiw I see nothing wrong about that exercise apart from the fact that, in that specific video, the movement is to rushed and quick. It should be done much more gently imo)

Anyone can find these exercises on YouTube, I found shedloads myself while searching. But my osteopath only suggested exercises she went through with me, helping making sure I was doing them correctly.

@Tallisimo

Anyone can find these exercises on YouTube, I found shedloads myself while searching. But my osteopath only suggested exercises she went through with me, helping making sure I was doing them correctly.

yes and thats exactly what my osteopath did. I did not just pick these out of the interent. She told me to do them and we did them together and she watched me do them first and then said do them at home each day

Having seen osteopaths, chiropractors, had MRI, had bulging discs that ended up herniating. I would recommend just going to a physiotherapist. They know the right exercises they will do very very gentle adjustment in the form of massage. Once my disc had herniated I should not have been seeing osteopaths or chiropractors and I feel they may have worsened my situation.

I ended up with a microdiscectomy surgery but Still have other discs which are bulging - i do mind it now with physiotherapist treatment and they exercises they have given me. If my sciatica is bad I find one to two visits will resolve it.

I have now decided to contact my local physiotherapist practice. The tean seem good and very experienced

www.atkinsphysio.com/our-team

I desparately need some advice. I saw the new physio today. He sai the exercises the osteopath had given me were completly wrong and not to do them. Exercises were lifting knees to chest and putting one leg over the other and pulling the leg towards me. He said those exercises will not help. He told me to do a bending exercise slowly and then up and then bend by spine bacwars and then bend slowly over to the right and then bend slowly over to the let. I am to do these 4 times a day 15 times and if I cannot manage 4 times a day then 2 times a day will be ok.

He also said put a rolled up towel in the small of my back when sitting I sai the GP said this but the osteopath said that is a bad idea and the physio said the osteopath is wrong.

He said my conition is mild so I can go back to my exercise class which involved jumping and skipping.. I said the osteopath said jumping and skipping will do me harm because of the bouncing moements and he said no you can do them but gently.

He also said do not sit up in bed becaue when you sit up in bed your legs are out straight in front of you and that will cause your back to arch inwards so sit on a chair very upright and put your feet firmly on the floor and do not cross your legs. He then went on to say if you must stay in be lie down not sit up.

He did sound knowlegeable and then I went shopping and now I have come home and the pain in my leg where I have the sciatica is quite bad. I know it will ease up but not sure if that is due to walking roun a supermarket carrying shopping or whether it is due to his manipulations. He got me to lay on his bed and he said rolll over to the side and I bend your knee downwards, I haeve never done that before. My right leg now aches and do not think I will ever feel any better. This physio said he suspets I had back problems two months prior to the day it all happened 6 weeks ago but going on a long journey by train and then doing a lot of walking on the day it happened was the last straw and it set all this off.

How the hell does he know I had back issues for two months prior. Sorry but I think that is a load of rubbish

Look.

You don’t trust the advice if your GP
Your don’t trust the advice if the osteopath
You don’t believe the physio
And you haven’t listen to one bit of advice given to you on this thread.

The reality is that different practitioners come the same problem in different ways and will give different advice.
Just chose one and stick with them.
Or better go by the NICE guidelines - exercise and have acupuncture.

Your condition is mild. You need to start helping yourself first.

I just do not understan why my leg is now quite painul after going round the supermarket after the phyio. It was not painful at all when I visited the physio, so something between leaing the physio and going shopping has made it that way.

I told him the same thing happened a few days ago when I went roun a supermarket and ha shopping to take home. He did not comment.

@TravellingFrom

Look.

You don’t trust the advice if your GP
Your don’t trust the advice if the osteopath
You don’t believe the physio
And you haven’t listen to one bit of advice given to you on this thread.

The reality is that different practitioners come the same problem in different ways and will give different advice.
Just chose one and stick with them.
Or better go by the NICE guidelines - exercise and have acupuncture.

Your condition is mild. You need to start helping yourself first.

I am now seeing the new physio. I think if he was into giving accupuncture he would have mentiond it. I am not even sure what he thnks about accupuncture. I forgot to ask

The physio advice is similar to what I was given
Lying down (pillow under knees or between knees if you're on your side) or standing is better than sitting for your back
If you sit then sit feet flat on floor on a firm chair with back supported
I googled how to log roll out of bed and that's how I got in and out of bed

@pawpaws2022

The physio advice is similar to what I was given Lying down (pillow under knees or between knees if you're on your side) or standing is better than sitting for your back If you sit then sit feet flat on floor on a firm chair with back supported I googled how to log roll out of bed and that's how I got in and out of bed

Sometimes you cannot avoid sitting. If for instance you go to the cinema or to see a show at the theatre. You can harly get up every 20 minutes at the threatre lol

On reflection I actually think I have found a very good physio. I have been doing some research on him and he sounds very good. I just hae to adampt to a new way of doing things thats all.

All good