Osteopathic Adjustment – Uses in Acute Problems


Basically, osteopathy is a drug-free non-invasive manual therapy with the goal of improving the health all across the body systems. This is done with osteopathic adjustment. This is a system of manipulating and strengthening the musculoskeletal framework of the body.

The osteopathic physician will focus on the body joints, muscles, and spine. The treatment aims to positively affect the body’s nervous, circulatory, and lymphatic systems.

Osteopathic physicians
Many osteopathic physicians also serve as primary care physicians in fields such as family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics. Osteopathic physicians are also recognized as medical doctors (MDs) and they have more training than the other complementary therapists.

An osteopathic physician may also issue prescription medicine and use surgical methods to support the holistic, manual treatment.

Manual treatments
Manual medicine in this context means both the diagnosis and the following treatment are carried out with the use of the hands.

As a form of therapy, osteopathy is complementary. This means it is used alongside conventional treatment to improve the patient’s health.

Techniques
The adjustments used in osteopathy include manipulation of joints in the treatment of whole systems of the body. This is a holistic, whole-body approach to healthcare.

The techniques used include stretching, gentle pressure, and resistance. This is also known as osteopathic manipulative medicine.

Circulation
It can provide relief and treatment for a wide range of conditions. The hands-on techniques improve circulation and correct altered biomechanics without the use of drugs.

An osteopathic physician does not concentrate only on the problem area, but uses manual techniques to balance all the body systems, and to provide overall good health and wellbeing. Diagnosing and treating conditions using these techniques is called Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM).

Ailments
There are several muscular and skeletal ailments that afflict the body. These include arthritis and pains in many parts of the body like the feet, ankle, hips, and knees.

There are also pains in the back, neck and sciatica. Also included are those pains in the hands, shoulders, and elbows.

There are also postural problems due to pregnancy, sports injuries, driving and work strains, tennis and golfer’s elbows, neuralgia, headaches, and even digestive issues.   

Some treatments
The muscle energy technique (MET) is a manual therapy that uses the muscle contractions of the patient to relax and lengthen tight muscles and improve joint range of motion.

The articulation technique is the passive manipulation of the spine or a joint. The aim is to improve joint movement.

The high velocity low amplitude (HVLA) technique is a procedure where one may hear a popping sound or click of a joint. This one, when warranted, improves joint motion.

Counter-strain takes the muscle to stretch so it can reset to its normal resting tone and length.

Adjustments
The adjustments in osteopathy use a variety of specific techniques which can help improve and correct conditions that are clearly related to the musculoskeletal system. These techniques are used in conjunction with other treatments and medications.

Osteopathic adjustment is primarily used in treating acute problems. Some people, however, find benefit with periodic adjustment in helping manage chronic back and neck difficulties they have.

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