At any given time, approximately 50 million people are dealing with chronic pain. That’s about 20% of the entire population of the United States, and that’s not even accounting for the rest of the world. Chronic pain often has debilitating symptoms, and one of the easiest ways to manage them is through pain medication.
However, relying heavily on pain medication can be counter-effective because it fails to address the problems at their roots. Although medications can help manage the pain and make it bearable for people to function normally, their effects are short-term. Fortunately, that’s not the only way to manage chronic pains.
If you’re among the populations of people dealing with chronic muscle pains and other debilitating health conditions, you should consider looking into osteopathy. It’s easy enough to find an osteopathic practice that will help you manage your conditions if you know where to look for them.
What is Osteopathy?
In essence, osteopathic medicine is based on the principle that a person’s well-being depends greatly on all their bones, muscles, and connective tissues working together. It’s used to prevent serious health problems from developing by manually moving or massaging the muscles and joints of an individual.
The people who practice this branch of medicine are called osteopaths, and they use physical manipulation, along with a range of techniques to treat ailments. Osteopathy can reduce muscle pains, help the body heal, relieve muscle tension, and increase the mobility of joints without having to use any medicines or surgery in the process.
What Conditions Are Treated by Osteopaths?
Since osteopathy caters to muscles, bones, and joints, people who seek help from osteopaths are likely to have conditions related to these areas. Among these are headaches, arthritis, sciatica, hip and pelvis problems, muscle and joint pain, and chronic back pain.
Osteopathy can also treat sports injuries and other related conditions, like tennis and golfer’s elbows. As mentioned earlier, osteopathy doesn’t use surgery or medicine to treat health conditions. Rather, osteopaths use a series of exercises and therapies to treat constant muscle, joint, or bone pains.
What Are the Benefits of Osteopathic Medicine?
Like other branches of medicine, osteopathy focuses on the overall healing of individuals through hands-on methodologies. However, the main difference between osteopathy and other forms of medicine is that it takes a more holistic approach to health care, which doesn’t bank on medications.
That’s why osteopathic medicine is good for people living with chronic pains and illnesses because it can help them relieve their discomfort without relying on pain relievers. Through the physical manipulation of the muscles, these people can improve their overall quality of life. Here are the other benefits they can enjoy:
1. Osteopathy Ia Drug-free and Non-invasive
Osteopathy is a great alternative for people who no longer want to depend on their medications to manage their chronic pain. This is because osteopaths believe that the human body has the innate ability to heal itself without the interference of modern medicine, which is why they only use physical manipulation for treatments.
And instead of focusing the treatment on addressing the symptoms of the health condition, osteopathy aims to remove their root causes so that they won’t reappear. The treatments used in osteopathy tend to be lower impact and on the gentle side, such as soft tissue stretching and mobilization techniques.
2. Anyone Can Receive Osteopathic Treatment
Osteopathy is safe for all ages and circumstances because it has no side effects. That’s why osteopathy is recommended to pregnant women who need to adapt to the hormonal and postural changes that they experience during their pregnancy. Plus, it can help them improve their stability and balance while in gestation.
Also, unlike in other forms of medicine, the diagnostic process in osteopathy won’t require using high-frequency equipment or scans to identify what needs to be addressed. Instead, osteopaths simply use their hands to diagnose, treat, and prevent their patients’ health conditions.
3. Osteopathy Is Good for the Immune System
Not only can osteopathy ease muscle pain and tensions, but it can also do wonders for the immune system. Since osteopaths believe that the structure and function of the body are interconnected, it follows that receiving osteopathic treatments can help boost an individual’s immunity.
For instance, manual therapy is known to improve thoracic mobility and increase lymphatic drainage, which can boost the lymphatic system. This will then help the body regulate the functions of the different organs within it and create internal improvements without the need for surgical treatment.
While there are other forms of pain management treatments that you can try, osteopathy can provide you with an approach that won’t require you to subject your body to surgery or rely on medication. Of course, like with other branches of medicine, osteopathy also comes with pros and cons. So you should consult your doctor about the best treatment for you before you go all in.
