Osteopathy and Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is one of the most common reasons someone will visit an osteopathic manual therapist. According to studies done in Europe, chronic pain has a significant and life-changing impact on all aspects of a person’s quality of life. A patient that is in constant pain with little relief can develop a negative attitude toward a healthcare system that is unable to provide effective treatment. Chronic pain also interferes with daily activities and social life, which is frustrating for patients who are removed from a sense of being “normal”. This increases the risk of depression due to isolation. Patients not only feel negatively about their own health but needless to say, they experience disheartening consequences, such as financial burdens and missed opportunities.
You might say that in such cases, the medical and paramedical fields failed to communicate to patients how they could have prevented their chronic pain from getting out of control. In fact, it is the goal of health-care practitioners, such as osteopathic manual therapists, to prevent this spiral of chronic pain from happening in the first place. Of course, osteopathic manual therapists can also provide help and hope for those dealing with chronic pain at its worst.
What are the Goals?
There are surgical and pharmaceutical treatments for chronic pain, however we should always consider all treatment options. This is where osteopathy plays a major role. Succeeding to treat pain and discomfort without addictive medicines (analgesics/opioids) is very rewarding. It is important to emphasize that the purpose of treating chronic pain is not always to eliminate the pain, but to make it manageable. That is why it is so important that the therapist and patient discuss a treatment plan with a target goal. The goal is often to reduce the pain, improve quality of life, and increase the patient’s functions.
What can be done with Osteopathy?
As an osteopathic therapist, I’ll have a close look at what created the pain in the first place and try to find the root cause. The purpose of osteopathy is to diagnose, treat, and manage musculoskeletal and other related disorders of the body’s structure. This is done by manually moving and stretching a patient’s muscles and joints to correct biomechanical dysfunctions.
A treatment plan will be created based on an assessment of the structural imbalances in your body (muscular, joint, visceral, or cranial/spinal) that are causing pain. Multiple sessions may be needed, as it is difficult to demand the body to get rid of months, if not years, of pain in just one or two sessions. My goal as an osteopath is to work with you through the pain, helping you to find relief and providing guidance on what the next steps will be. I will give you functional exercises and strategies to heal your body and give you back your confidence. In other words, I’m not treating you; I’m teaching your body how to do it.
Sources of Pain
Dealing with chronic pain is mentally draining, especially when there are multiple sources of pain in the body. There can be many different sources of pain, for example: pressure on a nerve can cause it to misfire, causing muscle pain, tingling, or numbness. Other sources of pain may be visceral (pertaining to the organs) or even due to a disrupted sleep pattern. Inflammation may begin in one place in the body and then pain can take over, spreading to other areas, creating a labyrinth of pain and inflammation that seems impossible to navigate. In fact, chronic pain can occur from prolonged stimulation of pain receptors, nerve injuries, and inflammation, which can actually sensitize pain transmission fibers, creating the sensation of pain when there is no actual cause. As an osteopath, my role is to guide you through this process and help you to find and recognize the source of the chronic pain, in order to better manage it.
Far too often, a patient complains of pain that is severe and acute, but a medical professional is unable to find the cause of the pain. This can invalidate a patient’s experience, sometimes leading the professional to believe that the patient is exaggerating or overstating their pain. This is a situation that osteopathic manual practitioners wish to avoid. Realizing that there are multiple legitimate causes for pain gives patients renewed hope that indeed their chronic pain can be managed in a way that allows the body to adjust and heal itself, with some help from an osteopath!
If reading this has piqued your curiosity and you are interested, consider booking an osteopathic appointment with me. You can do so here, online, or you can call 403-452-0029 during our business hours.