Osteopath made me worse?!

[SpottyCrumpet]

I saw an osteopath on Friday and came away feeling great. However last night I feel like my upper back is locked in my spine and my lower neck. It feels horrible and I’m really upset. Painkillers and hot baths haven’t really done much. It’s hard to get comfortable.

is this normal?

I have spoken to the osteo who didn’t really say what it was, went through red flag symptoms and then asked if I want a review in a couple of days. It doesn’t feel like post massage soreness, more like my back needs to crack to release some pressure (my back was not cracked during this treatment, just massage into my neck and alongside my spine)

I am extremely anxious. Please don’t comment if you’re going to make me feel more anxious, like telling me I’m going to end up paralysed / need to go to A&E / you’re an idiot for seeing an osteo. Thank you 😭

@LoafofSellotape I think a lot of these physios think they know best and make people suffer. He then told me to take pain killers caus of his dodgy job

This in spades.

I had tenosynovitis many years ago made dramatically worse by a chiropractor.
Spend your money on a proper physiotherapist .

@Boffle my physio made me worse

I see an osteopath and a physiotherapist so I feel qualified to answer this one.

Physiotherapy may start to improve your symptoms in the long term.

But I often need the osteopath for short term care.

I don't know your condition but osteopath care for me is often a bit like getting braces for your teeth but for your bones and muscles! So the soreness is often your bones and muscles realigning to where they SHOULD be. Much like how braces for teeth pull your teeth to the right position. So after adjustments with an osteopath, you might ache for a couple of days. But overall, with regular appointments, you'll notice less flare ups of your condition.

Personally, I need physio AND an osteopath to keep me mobile. Osteopaths can also give you physio exercises, and mine does acupuncture and chiropractic work too!

This makes sense but why am I still in pain after the first spinal mobilisation. I had 3 weeks ago with physio ? Do I keep going ?

@OnTheJourneyOnwards mine never explains anything he is horrid and rough and just vile I can't go back will find another one. You have explained it well but all he said was it will hurt your back isn't moving blah blah liar that he was

@Deedoo i returned to a physio I trusted who did very gentle work on me, mobilisation exercises etc.

i had a locked facet joint which I refused to have cracked so it’s permanently locked. It doesn’t bother me 99% of the time so I choose to ignore it. I was fine by Christmas but it was a very sore and stiff few weeks.

@NoSpecialCharacter so after mobilisation massage it can be sore for few weeks

My experience was a locked facet joint.

doms like soreness after massage is common and can take a few days to settle.

@NoSpecialCharacter mine has been 3 weeks he's a sports massage physio so he was rough

How you today @SpottyCrumpet
I hope its easing.

Ice. Use ice locally over the affected area not heat.
You can really ache extensively after an osteopathic session but it subsides after 2 days usually if it's exceptionally bad. You say you have health anxiety, is it possible that the after affect had stressed you and now you have excessive tension/ spasm in your muscles from the stress? This can be agony. It sounds likely if you had a massage treatment rather than a manipulation. Hopefully pain killers will help and you can gently stretch the area and get it to relax. Also drink lots of extra water, it helps to settle down faster.

@Bluebellyhedge
@DreamingOfASilentNight
i am the OP. It was a locked facet joint, I have responded up thread.

@Deedoo yes I’ve had a sports massage and was in agony after. I was bruised, the swelling was extreme and so so sore. It eased after a couple of days though. What are your symptoms?

@DreamingOfASilentNight it was a spine mobilisation by a physio who is a sports therapist and it hurt despite me telling him to be gentle

@@NoSpecialCharacter it was a light spine mobilisation massage he told me that he did as I have l5-s1 herniation and compressed nerve. He messed up and didn't admit that he did and has left me to suffer telling me I need more of them

@DreamingOfASilentNight i am anxious and that doesn't help at all: I am tensed up because of what he did and he offered accupunture: he just wanted more and more money more than anything else and kept saying it was a light massage I don't know why he was just rough and horrid and I went back second time told him no massage and he said he can't do anything other than massages for me to do exercises at home and told me to do some different exercises that didn't work

@Deedoo oh no, I dont think that's normal at all. I went to a sport physio once (dad's friend) and awoke in agony. I have herniated disc I think in the same location and permanent foot numbness and lower leg from when I have drop foot a couple years back (narrowly avoided surgery) and I'd never go to a sport physio for that. Sport physio was for my upper back when working hours infront of pc. For lower back I went if not mistaken mckenzie physiotherapist. I can double check - I go to one now for a flare up. After the massage I am so light on my feet with minimal pain for the rest of the day!
Sport therapist had me wake up 6am next day with the most horrific headache and pressure as he did my neck and shoulders and I never went back.
All my physios for lower back were specific physios I can have a look into my files.

Oh and op, I've never used either service you've mentioned. Only physiotherapist who I checked out after the sport physio left me in agony. The pain was for around 24h. I hope this passes for you. I'd be looking for specific physio in the future.

@Deedoo sports therapists are the least qualified of all. See a physiotherapist.

@NoSpecialCharacter it was a physiotherapist

@Mindyourfunkybusiness Yes please if you can send me details, thank you

No-one needs 'cracking' in the neck. That's high risk, no good osteopath would crack a neck.

OP maybe you've had a reaction to the massage and the surrounding muscles have gone into spasm. The best osteopaths know when to stop, it sounds like yours has done a bit too much. I ended up off sick for a week after an over enthusiastic sports massage (not from my osteopath). The pain is horrid.

I'd suggest warmth on the neck and gentle mobilising. Maybe voltarol gel or ibuprofen. Hope you improve soon.

@@Mindyourfunkybusiness yes please if you can share some details

@Deedoo sorry I read too quickly.

maybe see a different physio. Some are more experienced than others.

@Deedoo I went to a Musculoskeletal physiotherapist and currently go to mckenzie method physiotherapist.
Musculoskeletal was recommended by a neurologist at my worst for a about 3 sessions to see if my injury would improve and if I'd need surgery or not (I was borderline) but it was a long recovery.
I get flare ups, unsure if you do but I get them here and there, where its not drop foot standard but very stiff can't stand and I have found the mckenzie very promising! On a better day my back was stiff from day to day life and mckenzie physiotherapist massaged me and my goodness the relief! Lasted for the day easily. I had to have plenty of bed rest with mckenzie whereas musculoskeletal physio had me walking loads even when in pain and stiff. I personally feel mckenzie method was less painful in general due to the rest just every 2h had some stretches and hot compress. This is just my experience, I have lower back herniations, yours sounded familiar to the ones I have but I can double check that too but almost sure