How can Osteopathy play a role in health care in BC and whom can it help?
Osteopathy forms a very useful adjunct to health care options already on offer in British Columbia. Results with chronic pain scenarios, for just one example, happen more quickly than with most other approaches, proving to be less painful and less arduous for the patient - and are much more cost effective.
Osteopathy is concerned with the restoration of the structure and function of the human body using 'hands-on' techniques, often referred to as Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy.
The following list is an example of the types of people, conditions and complaints that osteopaths see regularly, although the list is not exhaustive.
Types of patient:
- Adults
- Athletes
- Retired people
- Expectant and post-partum mothers
- Children
- Babies
General descriptions of pain:
- Disc - strain, hernia, prolapse
- Inflammation and swelling
- Tendinitis
- Tenosynovitis
- Muscle spasms, strains and pulls
- Ligament strains
- Joint - pain, swelling, clicking, locking
- Trapped nerves and nerve pain
- Arthritis, wear and tear, degeneration
- Bursitis
- Sharp pain
- Acute
- Chronic
- Hypermobility
- Hypomobility
- Stiff
- Tight
- Ache
- Tender
- Numb
- Burning
- Tingling
- Local
- Referred
- Pre and post operation
Musculo-skeletal problems:
- Spinal stenosis, spondylosis, spondyloarthrosis, spondylolisthesis
- Neck (disc, muscle, ligament, joint)
- Headaches
- Migraines
- TMJ, Jaw
- Thoracic (disc, muscle, ligament, joint)
- Rib (muscle, ligament, and joint)
- Floating rib impingement
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Chest pain (not cardiac)
- Frozen shoulder and impingement syndromes
- Rotator cuff and shoulder bursitis, tendinitis and muscle tears
- Acromio-clavicular pain
- Collar bone
- Student, tennis and golfers elbow
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Trigger finger or thumb
- Wrist tendinitis
- Arthritic thumb
- Raynauds phenomenon
- Lumbar (disc, muscle, ligament, joint)
- Sacro-iliac (ligament, and joint)
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Sciatica
- Coccyx pain
- Hip bursitis, pain, and degeneration
- Hamstring, quadricep, calf muscle strains
- Iliotibial tract
- Groin pain
- Groin strains
- Knee degeneration and pain (meniscus, ligament, bursa, joint, muscle)
- Patella disorders
- Swollen ankles
- Shin splints / pain
- High or fallen arch problems
- Plantar fasciitis, pain on sole of foot or heel
- Achilles tendon pain
- Toe pain
- Foot pain
Visceral problems after pathology has been excluded:
- Asthma and breathing problems
- Swallowing, indigestion, hiatus hernia
- Constipation
- Period pain
- High blood pressure
- Kidney and bladder disorders
- Pelvic floor, stress incontinence
- Ear-ache
- Dizziness
- Tinnitus
- Sinus pain
