What Is Osteopathy Anyway?

osteopathy services in widnes

Osteopathy is a way of diagnosing, treating and preventing a variety of disorders and problems by manipulating the muscles and joints of a patient. It is a common and effective treatment for a range of illnesses and ailments including lower back pain, arthritis and sports injuries, and is often useful even when these disorders have been persisting for years.

The professional osteopaths of Widnes Alternative Health are experts in massage, stretching and joint manipulation, giving them access to the full spectrum of osteopathy’s healing skills. Since a person’s well-being is tied in to how their muscles, joints and bones work together, it is vital to apply these skills correctly and wherever they are needed – anyone suffering from back pain can tell you how quickly a seemingly isolated problem began to cause issues across their entire life.

Please note that osteopathy is a non-invasive treatment method, and osteopaths will never use drugs or surgery in their treatments. The osteopaths in Widnes work exclusively with massage techniques, physiotherapy and stretching to heal injuries and illnesses without the need for damaging surgery or the introduction of drugs to the system.

What’s the point of osteopathy?

Since the health and happiness of a patient is dependent on their muscles, joints and bones all working together as they should, our Widnes osteopaths focus on making sure no part of the system puts too much stress on the other parts. A problem with the muscles can quickly begin to affect the joints, just as an issue with tendons can put too much stress on the muscles, leading to joint issues and pain.

Osteopathy aims to address this by working out the problem in the affected area, and building it up to a greater strength level with the use of massage, stretching and joint manipulation. The building up of the injured area means that the problem won’t reoccur later, as the tissues are strong enough to handle whatever is thrown at them.

How does osteopathy work?

Osteopathy uses non-invasive physical therapy to promote healing in damaged tissues throughout the body. The aim is to:

  • Increase the mobility and flexibility of joints
  • Enhance blood circulation around the affected area
  • Release muscular tension and promote healthier muscles

Overall, these three areas of focus encourage the body to heal and recover by releasing tension (which may be exacerbating the issue), improving blood-flow (which carries away waste products and brings oxygen and healing cells to the injury site) and improving the joint functionality (which helps prevent re-occurrence).

In the UK, osteopathy is classed as a complementary or alternative medical practice, and offered at clinics such as Widnes Alternative Health.

Common Uses of Osteopathy

Osteopathy is used to treat a huge variety of problems, but is most commonly recommended for conditions which affect the muscles, bones, tendons and joints. These are the ares most directly affected by osteopathy’s healing effects, so they are the areas which see the greatest benefit when an osteopath works with them. These conditions can range from the annoying to the chronic and crippling, seriously affecting the patient’s quality of life. They include:

  • persistent lower back pain
  • neck pain
  • arthritis
  • issues with gait and joints in the legs and pelvis
  • posture issues
  • shoulder pain
  • sports injuries

It can also be beneficial with areas indirectly affected by muscle or joint issues, including digestive issues, stress and chronic pain, but as these areas are more tangentially related to the bones, joints and muscles, it is best to contact your osteopath in Widnes to determine whether it is the best treatment for you.