Evidence-based practice

There are a lot of therapies available to help people in pain or discomfort but are these evidence-based practices? How do you know if they are going to work? Many professional bodies work hard to provide evidence for consumers and osteopathy is no different. Below is a list of the many things that osteopathic treatment has be proven to help – please see the list below (provided by the General Osteopathic Council https://www.osteopathy.org.uk/news-and-resources/document-library/practice-guidance/gosc-asa-cap-guidance-for-osteopaths/ and Committee of Advertising Practice) . If you are a little unsure about the definitions, please call 07710 701 273, and hopefully I can help.

Osteopathy can effectively treat:

• Generalised aches and pains
• general, acute & chronic backache, back pain (not arising from injury or accident)
• uncomplicated mechanical neck pain (as opposed to neck pain following injury i.e. whiplash)
• headache arising from the neck (cervicogenic) / migraine prevention
• joint pains/frozen shoulder / shoulder and elbow pain / tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) arising from associated musculoskeletal conditions of the back and neck, but not isolated occurrences
• circulatory problems
• cramp
• digestion problems
• sciatica
• muscle spasms
• neuralgia
• fibromyalgia
• inability to relax
• rheumatic pain
• minor sports injuries and tensions

There are also combination of these that cause difficulties for people. This might be as widespread pains or diffuse pains. You might be walking awkwardly because of a hip problem. This may then irritate your back or knee, for example. Similarly, disturbed sleep, due to joint or spinal pain, can lead to reduction in regeneration time for your body. You may notice that your health, concentration or mood may be effected. So even symptoms that seem unrelated might be worth discussing with your osteopath.

Osteopaths have to complete a 4-year degree course to qualify as a practitioner. Within this course they also have to have contributed to 1,000 hours of supervised clinic time. This usually means working in a community clinic and in out-reach clinics such as those at GP practices, those set-up in residential care homes or those available to the homeless. So most of the above list is no-surprise to an osteopath – they may well have seen it before.