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6 Treatment Techniques Osteopaths Commonly Use In Practice
Are you curious as to what techniques osteopaths use?
If you are, you are in the right place.
Today, I am going to talk about six treatment techniques osteopaths commonly use in practice.
What’s more, I will explain how they might help and how that might feel.
We will start with spinal manipulation, which is probably the most commonly used technique.
Let’s jump straight in.
1. Spinal Manipulation
The majority of osteopaths use spinal manipulation. Osteopathic spinal manipulation is the same as a chiropractic adjustment.
Osteopaths use this technique to manipulate different parts of the spine, including the neck, back and lower back.
Osteopaths may use spinal manipulation when treating neck, back and lower back pain.
Osteopaths apply spinal manipulation by using a gentle, quick movement to the vertebral joint.
The manipulation is painless and may induce a “popping sound” from the joint.
This popping sound is caused by a change in pressure in the joint.
Osteopaths also know how to manipulate other joints in the body.
2. Joint Manipulation
Most osteopaths use joint manipulation.
Osteopaths use this technique on joints in the ankles, elbows, knees and wrists.
Osteopaths may use this technique when treating joint issues resulting from some type of trauma, such as a fall or road traffic accident.
Osteopaths apply this technique by using a gentle, quick movement to the joint.
Joint manipulation is generally painless.
Another technique that osteopaths use on the joints is mobilization.
3. Joint Mobilization
Many osteopaths use joint mobilization.
Osteopaths use this technique on joints in the spine, shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers, hips, knees and ankles and feet.
Joint mobilization is a useful technique in the treatment of arthritic joints.
Osteopaths apply this technique by gently moving the part of the body associated with the joint.
People may experience a feeling tightness in the joint during joint mobilization.
Osteopaths also use techniques on the muscles, including massage.
4. Massage
Some osteopaths use massage techniques.
Osteopaths use this technique on the muscles.
Massage is useful for reducing muscle spasm or tightness.
Osteopaths apply massage by using firm pressure on the muscles.
People may feel some discomfort from the muscles during massage.
Osteopaths also use techniques to work on organs or viscera.
Visceral Osteopathy
Some osteopaths use visceral osteopathy in their practice.
Osteopaths use Visceral osteopathy to work on the organs in your abdomen and pelvis.
This technique is useful for people with post-operative adhesions, pelvic floor or digestive issues.
Osteopaths apply visceral osteopathy by gently pushing and pulling on the organs.
Osteopaths also use a technique that works on the nervous system, Cranial Osteopathy.
Cranial Osteopathy
Many osteopaths use Cranial Osteopathy in their practice.
Osteopaths use this technique to work on the nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord.
Cranial Osteopathy is useful for newly born babies and people with concussions.
Osteopaths apply this technique through very gentle pressure on the skull and other parts of the body.
Did I Miss Anything?
There are many other techniques that osteopaths use in their practice.
Do you have a favourite one that I missed?
If you do, please leave a comment below.
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Meditation: A Practical Tool To Complement Massage
As a massage therapist, people often ask me for practical tools they can use at home to help themselves.
Today, I am going to share a practical tool that will help you heal yourself in mind, body and soul at home and on the go!
This practical tool is meditation.
I am going to talk about meditation because I feel it is the most useful practice we have to help aid in our mental, physical or emotional pain and tension.
To begin with, I am going to talk about how massage and meditation complement each other.
How Massage and Meditation Complement Each Other
When working with clients, I consider all the elements that go into cultivating health.
Health and wellness complement each other, as do massage therapy and meditation.
When we integrate meditation into our daily lives, it makes massage therapy treatments more beneficial.
All the techniques used in massage therapy allow the therapist to provide space for the client to engage more deeply in meditation. They are complementary practices that balance the body.
When we integrate mindfulness meditation into our lives, the massage therapy treatments we have can help fully release the stress, tension, subtle injuries and pain we are holding within the layers of our body, mind and soul.
What Is Meditation?
Meditation can be easily implemented into our daily routines to allow space to check in with the mind, body and soul.
Meditation is the practice of calming our mind and connecting with our body to feel more profound levels of our mental, physical and emotional being.
It focuses the mind on helping train awareness to achieve a mentally clear, physically relaxed and emotionally calm stable state of being.
Meditation purposely bringing our attention to the experiences occurring in the present moment without judgment or attachment.
You can meditate anytime you would like to because this is an exercise for the mind even with the many physical and emotional benefits such as reducing stress, anxiety, body pain, inflammation and high blood pressure, much like the benefits of a massage therapy treatment.
How To Meditate
The first thing you want to keep in mind when meditating is your environment. You will want to find a quiet space to avoid being distracted.
Secondly, get into a comfortable position where you can feel calm and focus on your breathing.
You can meditate lying down or sitting on the bed, floor, pillow or chair. What’s important is that you feel comfortable.
Once you have done this, start by closing your eyes and bringing your focus and awareness inward to connect with your breath.
By closing your eyes, this will begin a process of active listening to empty any overthinking or stress you may be experiencing, consciously and subconsciously.
Observe the way the air feels flowing in through your nose, then the transition to exhale out through your nose or mouth.
When a thought arises and distracts you from this task, simply bring your attention back to your breath.
The key is to accept everything as the breath comes in, and let go of it, as the breath moves out.
For your first time meditating, I recommend you start with 5 minutes.
As you make meditation practice apart of your daily routine, you can increase the time to what feels right for you.
I recommend aiming to meditate daily for 10-20 min in the morning and evening.
So, Meditation and Massage Therapy complement one another.
Massage Therapy can be a gateway to meditation as the therapist holds space for the client to be calm and connect to their body to provide a good baseline for daily meditation practice.
As a massage therapy client, the goal is to feel as relaxed as possible so both you and the therapist can observe how your body is feeling.
The goal of the therapist is to work the tissue while staying within the pain tolerance of the client.
Meditation encourages the client to accept the state of the mind, body and soul to help determine what the therapist will provide to help alleviate pain and tension.
What Do You Think?
Have you tried meditation?
Do you find it complements going for a massage?
Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below.
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