Chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists can often be placed in the same enigmatic health category. However, osteos have specialised techniques that are used to ensure you are living your most optimal and healthy life!
Did you know that osteos are specialists in muscle, tissue and bone manipulation? Osteopaths are expert health professionals who are trained to understand and treat health implications surrounding bodily muscle and skeletal health.
Read on to find out more about the kind of therapeutic techniques that are commonly employed by osteos in their practice. For personalised advice, contact the Excel Body & Health team today!
Deep Tissue Massage
This isn’t your average treatment to simply induce relaxation. Deep tissue massage helps to promote blood flow to affected areas to provide therapeutic effects. It can also aid in the removal of muscle knots, helping to facilitate pain reduction in areas most needed.
Common areas requiring deep tissue massage include the neck, shoulders and back. However, your individual treatment plan as assessed by your osteopath will determine which muscles become sole priority.
Others also read: How Osteopathy Could Help Your Headaches
Joint Mobilisation And Articulation
This is a specialised technique that involves a manual technique directed towards the patient’s joint. During this process, the Osteopath will impart passive movements such as glides and distractions and is characterised by low-velocity movements (as opposed to high-velocity thrusts). This type of technique helps to address arthrokinematic joint motion (joint gliding). The application of joint mobilisation can reduce pain in a variety of affected areas and is used to treat several chronic muscular disorders. Articulation simply refers to the mobilisation and manipulation of joints. This process helps to optimise joint movement.
Stretching/ Muscle Energy Techniques
These techniques involve gently stretching muscles that may be injured and may be causing bouts of pain. Stretching is a therapeutic technique used by osteos that involves deliberately flexing or stretching a muscle in order to improve the muscle’s elasticity and muscle tone. This can invite feelings of increased muscle control, flexibility and provide more motion in the emphasised bodily region.
HVLA (Manipulation)
Also known as high velocity, low amplitude (HVLA), this technique is contrastingly different to more passive techniques such as articulation. This Osteopathic technique involves some situations where you may hear a ‘crack’ or a ‘pop’, however this is part of a normal process and shouldn’t ring alarm bells. Our Osteopaths endure a high degree of training and will ensure a smooth process whilst this technique is performed. Alternatively, if you feel that you’re not comfortable with trialling this form of osteopathic therapy, we’ll ensure your priorities and individual needs are met!
Dry Needling
Used in conjunction with other therapeutic techniques, dry needling is widely used by the osteopathic community and other allied health professionals. This technique can be characterised by the insertion of fine needles into muscular trigger points or otherwise known as “knots” to reduce your level of pain and tension. The process of dry needling also helps to increase local blood flow to the area of interest, helping to relieve pain in myofascial trigger points. Dry needling attains many benefits, some of these include improved joint mobility/flexibility, reduced muscle tension and pain.
Electrotherapy
Electrotherapy adopts a non-invasive approach to manage and treat common muscular, ligament and joint issues. There are a wide variety of electrotherapy modalities available for health professionals to use. A common electrotherapy technique used at our clinic is Radial Shockwave Therapy (RSWT).
Shockwave Therapy
Whilst it may sound daunting, Radial Shockwave Therapy (RSWT) is a non-invasive type of electrotherapy purposefully designed to assist patients with chronic soft tissue issues. This treatment works by delivering high energy sound waves, utilising a pneumatic/ballistic design. These sound waves penetrate the skin and can induce a numbness or heaviness feeling in the affected area. RSWT can help reduce pain, increase blood flow and blood vessel growth, stimulate collagen and much more. More specifically, this treatment can help those inflicted with Achilles tendinopathy, Gluteal tendinopathy and Shoulder bursitis. To view our more comprehensive list of chronic conditions this therapy can assist with, visit our website!
Book Your Osteopathy Appointment Today
All of our osteopaths at Excel Body & Health Clinic are experts in their field, with extensive education and training! Don’t be shy to get in touch with our team with a question about anything related to muscular, ligament and joint health!