An Osteopath regards your body and mind as a whole and treats you accordingly, by looking beyond the pain or discomfort you presented with when you decided to seek help. Your Osteo will look for any underlying causes of your discomfort. The cause could turn out to be the years you spent sitting with a bad posture or your ingrained lifestyle habits might have eventually come home to roost. You might have worked, or perhaps you still work in an occupation that requires repetitive movements. Perhaps your nutrition could be questioned? Whatever the cause and the problem, your Osteo will focus on resolving your immediate pain and discomfort and help you to take steps to ensure you are set for a healthier life.
Osteopaths know people often have a pain in the back and think they have a back problem when the cause could be anywhere along the spine and simply referring to the spot that hurts. Perhaps you have overdone things at the gym, or in the garden after a period of spending lots of time in a sedentary occupation or just lounging in front of the XBox.
It’s possible that you have:
- tight upper or lower back muscles
- hamstrings wire-tight
- have a body that is overdeveloped on one side
Your Osteo will diagnose not just your presenting pain and discomfort but will discover the root cause, and find that many of them began in the scenarios mentioned above.
How are Osteos qualified?
Osteopaths are highly trained in only accredited universities in Australia and they most often graduate with double degrees and a wide knowledge of the body’s anatomy and physiology. Their training makes them well versed in the things that can go wrong with the body medically, and their medical training over five years gives them the ability to diagnose problems with the skeleton and connective tissues. These problems can include tennis elbow, joint pain, arthritis, sciatica, overuse and strain injuries to name just a few, and also the number of different types of headache. Your Osteo can check you for such conditions as thyroid problems, hypertension, and osteoporosis, and they are legally bound to refer you to other specialty practitioners if your ailment is not in the range covered by Osteopathy.
What ailments can my Osteopath treat?
The list of problems, pain and discomfort Osteopathy can help with is long, but mainly consists of the following:
- Sports injuries
- Arthritis
- Sciatica
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Foot and ankle problems
- Tendinitis
- Frozen shoulder
- Knee pain
Osteopathy with Dry Needling
The benefits of your Osteopathy clinic offering Dry Needling are many, a major benefit, is that your Osteo knows your history and the diagnosis of your problem, so the Osteo can work with the clinic’s Dry Needling expert (of course, your Osteopath might also be trained in Dry Needling techniques).
Dry needling is an acupuncture-type and much-used technique, minus the use of drugs, involving the insertion of very fine needles into the nervous and musculoskeletal system. The needles are used to stimulate trigger points which encourage the body’s own pain relief system to switch into action. This can promote and restore function to the muscles and joints and ease pain. Dry needling can be used to treat various conditions.
Conditions that can be treated with Dry Needling:
Dry Needling has been used effectively to resolve the pain and discomfort associated with many kinds of musculoskeletal problems including chronic and acute varieties. For example:
- Neck pain
- Headaches
- Back pain
- Hamstring injuries or difficulties
- Shin splints
- Muscle strain and tightness
- Sports injuries
What to Expect from Dry Needling
Some soreness can be felt after a Dry Needling treatment but it is normal and feels as if you have had a brisk workout. Soreness lasts usually for 24 hours, but if it stays for longer than that you should consult your clinic or Osteopath. There can be a little bruising around the area of treatment, with some areas likely to bruise much more easily. Dry Needling of the face, the base of the neck, the arms, head, shoulders, and legs can result in slight bruising. It is rare to have large bruises. Ice packs can help, but if you feel concerned contact your Osteopath.
Pakenham Osteopathy has been treating the people of Bunyip, Officer, Beaconsfield, and surrounding areas for more than 13 years. Get back to doing the things you love by making an appointment today with Pakenham Osteopathy. Or book online at: https://www.pakenhamosteopathy.com.au/book-online/
We are at:
46 Main Street
Pakenham Victoria 3810
Ph: 5941 4157
E: osteo@pakenhamosteopathy.com.au
