Many people associate osteopaths purely with the treatment of back ache and other related musculo-skeletal injuries but osteopathy can help in a much wider range of conditions.

Below is an A-Z of ailments that can benefit from treatment and advice from your osteopath. 

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A. Arthritis / Asthma

Arthritis - Osteopaths can reduce pain, ease swelling and improve mobility and range of joint movement.

Asthma - Treatment is directed at improving breathing mechanics, correcting posturally related problems and removing stress in order to enhance the well being and ultimately reduce the reliance on medication.

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B. Back Pain

Back Pain - Doctors agree that physical treatment such as osteopathy can be helpful as early as is possible after the onset of symptoms.  Most back trouble responds well to osteopathic treatment.

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C. Children and babies / Colic / Cranial techniques.

Children & Babies - Osteopathic treatment for children and babies is very gentle and can help correct mechanical problems in growing bodies or problems that develop from earlier knocks or falls.

Colic - The gentle, skilful application of osteopathic treatment (cranial techniques are frequently used for treating babies) can bring about a significant improvement in such cases, which may be an outcome of a traumatic birth.

Cranial techniques - Small amounts of movement exist within the skull and osteopaths with their highly trained sense of touch can identify and correct disturbances and limitation of tissue mobility, not only in the skull but throughout the body.

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D. Diagnosis / Driving

Diagnosis - Osteopaths are fully trained in diagnosis and use many of the procedures used in conventional medical assessment and diagnosis.  More specific clinical tests may also be done or arranged of a referral made if it is felt necessary

Driving - Osteopaths can give advice on ensuring a comfortable drive, particularly for those who suffer from back pain.

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E. Education - how to become an osteopath / Examination - what is involved

Education - Training is 4 years full time of 5 years part time.

Examination - what’s involved.  The initial consultation involves taking a thorough case history covering general health, previous illnesses, lifestyle and family medical history.  The osteopath will then conduct a physical examination, observing the patients range of movements and joint function and assessing individual tissues.  After the examination the osteopath will explain he findings a and suitable course of treatment will be prescribed.

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F. Feet & Ankles / Finding an osteopath.

Feet & Ankles - Some lower limb and back conditions may stem from an uneven gait (pattern of walking) and this may be due to problems with the feel or ankles.  An osteopath will cover this in the initial examination.

Finding an osteopath - Registered osteopaths can be found by telephoning the General Osteopathic Councils advice line (020 7357 6655) or at its website (www.osteopathy.org.uk)

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G. General Osteopathic Council / Glue Ear / Gynaecological problems

General Osteopathic Council - The osteopaths act 1993 established the GOsC as the regulatory body for the osteopathic profession.  All osteopaths must be registered with the GOsC.

Glue Ear - Recurrent infections in the ear may be due in part to restrictions in the small yet important movements of the growing skull.  An osteopath can often help.

Gynaecological problems - Osteopathy can give relief to problems such as endometriosis, menstrual pain and other associated pelvic problems.

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H. Headaches

Headaches - A component of the typical ‘tension headache’ may be poor posture or stresses and strains caused by mechanical problems, all of which can be addressed by an osteopath.

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I. Indigestion / Irritable bowel syndrome

Indigestion - Osteopathy may be able to relieve the discomfort of indigestion.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Osteopathy can help to give relief to the bowel.

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J. Jaw / Joint Stiffness

Jaw - Many people find that their jaw ‘clicks’ but when it becomes more painful or more frequent osteopathy may be beneficial.

Joint Stiffness - Osteopathy can help  increase the range of movement to relieve the pain associated with joint stiffness.

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K. Knees

Knees - Whether through a sporting injury or general wear and tear osteopathy can help to relieve knee pain.

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L. Ligament and muscle strain.

Ligament and muscle strain - Strain often accompanies skeletal problems and osteopath can detect and correct where this occurs.

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M. ME / Migraines / Morning Sickness

ME or chronic fatigue syndrome - Some researchers believe it arises from an impaired communication between the central nervous system, the internal organs and the musculo-skeletal components of the body.  Clinical trials have successfully demonstrated that a manual treatment program such as osteopathy can help this debilitating condition.

Migraines - Tension in neck musculature may be a contributing factor in migraines.

Morning Sickness - Some patients have reduced symptoms after osteopathic treatment.

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N. Neck Pain / NHS

Neck Pain - Osteopaths can treat acute or chronic neck pain and treat to prevent it recurring.

NHS - Osteopathy is not widely available on the NHS but it is worth checking with your GP to see if it is available locally.

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O. Osteopathic treatment / Osteoporosis

Osteopathic treatment -  Osteopaths use their hands both to discover the underlying cause of pain and to carry out treatment using a variety of manipulative techniques.

Osteoporosis - Osteopaths can advise on preventative steps to avoid developing this disease.  They can also help with associated pain.

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P. Pelvic Pain / Posture / Pregnancy

Pelvic Pain - There are a number of causes of pelvic pain (endometriosis, uterine motility and surgery) that osteopathy may be able to address.

Posture - This can greatly influence the health of the musculo-skeletal system and is frequently assessed by osteopaths.

Pregnancy - Osteopathy is a wonderfully gentle way of helping the body to adapt to changes which area taking place.

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Q. Quality of Life

Quality of life - Removing pain and restoring freedom of movement can greatly improve ones quality of life.

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R. Rheumatic pain / RSI

Rheumatic pain - Osteopathy can help to reduce tissue inflammation and hence pain.

RSI - Osteopaths can advise on workplace posture and treatment can help ease the pain of RSI.

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S. Sports injuries / Sciatica Statutory regulation

Sciatica - (leg pain) is a common complaint which is frequently seen and successfully treated by osteopath.

Sports injuries - Osteopathy can help keep you and your training peak and also enable a swift return to sport following sprains and overuse injuries.

Statutory regulation - As of 9 May 2000 osteopathy became a Statutory Regulated profession like doctors and dentist and the title ‘Osteopath’ is restricted by law so that only those registered can use it.

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T. Techniques / Tennis elbow

Techniques - These may include soft tissue stretching, rhythmic passive joint movements or high velocity thrust techniques to improve the range of movement of a joint.  Gentle release techniques are often used, particularly when treating children or elderly patients.

Tennis Elbow - This is not only restricted to tennis players!  It’s a common overuse injury that can be treated by osteopathy.

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U. Upper Limb Disorders

Upper limb disorders - Symptom such as aches, pains, difficulty in movement and swelling can be addressed by an osteopath.

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V. Veterinary osteopathy / Visceral Osteopathy

Veterinary osteopathy - It is used successfully to treat animals from domestic pets to racehorses.

Visceral Osteopathy - Osteopaths can treat the internal organs for relief of symptoms from abdominal, digestive, respiratory and pelvic pain.

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W. Work Strain

Work strain - Many work related aches and pains (‘mouse wrist’ ‘computer hump’, neck, shoulder or back pain) as well as injury caused by lifting can be relieved by osteopathic treatment.

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X. X-rays

X-rays - Osteopaths may refer patients for X-rays if they feel they are necessary for diagnosis and can interpret these in order to plan treatment.  An osteopath’s skills generally enable diagnosis to be reached without the need for x-rays.  

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Y. Young People

Young People - Children and teenagers are not immune to musculo-skeletal problems which can be caused by sports activities, hunching over computer games or carrying heavy bags.

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Z. Zzzzzzzzz - sleeping

Zzzzzzzz - Could your bed be part of your back problem?  You can obtain advice on choosing a bed from your osteopath.