Category: Osteopathy

Whether it be work-related, family-related, relationship-related, pandemic-related or something else entirely, stress is a product of modern-day life that most of us face now and again.

However, when left unaddressed, stress can infiltrate everything we do, creating feelings of vulnerability, and uncertainty and, ultimately, leaving our mental and physical health suffering as a result.

Therefore, finding effective methods to combat stress is imperative to keeping issues like anxiety and depression at bay.

Outlets like mindfulness, exercise and therapy can help a lot in this regard but, when combatting the physical side of stress, osteopathy is a great port of call.

A fantastic method of detecting, treating and preventing a wide range of health problems, osteopaths help relax the body by stretching, moving and massaging the key areas where they identify stress being held. But how exactly does this work?

In this article, we will take a detailed look at what stress is, what causes it and why osteopathy is such an effective method of combatting its effect.

What Causes Stress

As defined by the NHS, stress is ‘the body’s reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure’.

An incredibly common emotion, when handled in an effective manner, stress can actually help us achieve many things in our day-to-day life.

However, when left to build up over time, stress can negatively impact our mood, our body and our relationships, leaving us feeling anxious, and irritable and affecting our self-esteem.

Its source can be caused by any number of things but, generally speaking, the biggest causes of stress are listed below:

• Pressure
• Change
• Worry
• Lack of control
• Lack of work
• Overwhelming responsibilities
• Uncertain times

How Stress Affects The Body

As mentioned already, stress can affect the body in a number of ways, both in terms of our physical and mental health. Listed below are a few of the main ways stress can impact the body when left undealt for long periods of time:

• Stress can trigger and intensify the feelings of tension headaches.
• Stress can make it harder to get good quality sleep, leading to feelings of irritability.
• Stress increases the production of stomach acid which can intensify feelings of heartburn.
• High Blood Pressure. Stress hormones raise your blood pressure, increase your heart rate, damaging your arteries and raising the risk of a heart attack.
• Sexual Issues. Since stress interferes with the reproductive system and lowers sex drive in both men and women, this can make it harder to conceive.
• Missed Periods. The hormone fluctuation caused by stress can interfere with the menstrual cycle, causing periods to be missed.
• Stomach Ache. Stress can play havoc on our body’s digestive system, leading to issues like stomach ache, nausea and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
• Tense Muscles. Stress makes muscles tense up which can then cause a wide range of physical issues, including backache and neck pain.

How Osteopathy Can Be Used To Combat Side Effects

 Osteopathy is a holistic way of treating the body, encouraging the body to re-balance the fight-or-flight response caused by stress and make sure all bodily functions are aligned.

Using a series of massage, stretching and manipulation techniques, osteopathy helps identify various sources of pain in the body, relieving the affected areas, improving mobility and, ultimately, reducing any feelings of stress.

For hyperventilation issues caused by stress, such as headaches, shortness of breath and back pain, osteopathy looks to reduce tension in the muscles, using a variety of stretching techniques to open up the body and improve respiration.

Similarly, for any gastrointestinal issues caused by stress, osteopathy can help relax the muscles in the stomach, alleviating any tension that has built up over time to aid digestion and reduce the severity of pain caused by these problems.

Finally, the combination of specialist massage, stretching techniques and joint mobilisation can help improve blood flow, allowing the body to feel more relaxed, reducing tension in the muscles, and increasing levels of concentration and alertness.

Get In Touch

Here at The Westway Clinic, we have a broad range of skills and extensive experience treating many stress-induced injuries and issues. So, if you would like to find out more about osteopathy and the wide variety of benefits it can provide, please do not hesitate to contact our team at your earliest convenience.

 

Osteopathy is a non-invasive, manual therapy that can help to improve your health through manipulation of the musculoskeletal framework. It focuses on the joints, muscles and spine, helping to positively impact the nervous, circulatory and lymphatic systems. This complementary therapy can be used alongside other traditional treatments to improve your health – but what can you expect from an osteopathy session and who can it benefit most?

What is osteopathy used for?

Osteopathy can be used for a number of health problems – it’s a system of diagnosing, treating and preventing a range of joint and muscle issues, from back pain and postural problems to sports injuries or arthritis. Osteopathy can also be used for pain caused by driving or work, changes from pregnancy, age-related pain and even headaches.

What are the benefits?

With many types of treatments available for muscular or joint pain, what makes osteopathy such a great option? The goal of osteopathy is to treat the patient rather than the disease, which means taking a look at the body as a whole rather than the individual complaint. All parts of the body are interconnected so the function of one area will impact another.

Osteopathy aims to remove the underlying cause of pain, by reducing the amount of stress on your joints and relieving tension in the body, which can also help with tension headaches and migraines. It can also help to adapt to the hormonal and structural changes that can occur in pregnancy. Osteopathy is commonly used to alleviate the symptoms associated with chronic illnesses such as arthritis and IBS too, minimising the pain and discomfort these conditions can cause.

As a gentle and relaxing treatment, osteopathy can help to reduce stress on the body and improve blood flow and nerve supply. Many people find that it also works as a preventative treatment, so if you’ve recently recovered from an injury or health concern, this treatment can help reduce the risk of the problem reoccurring.

Can anyone benefit from osteopathy?

Osteopathic patients vary from young children to pregnant women, athletes, manual workers, office professionals and older people. It’s a non-invasive, drug-free treatment that can work for people of all ages. In particular, cranial osteopathy, also known as paediatric osteopathy, is beneficial during pregnancy and for infants as it’s incredibly gentle and sensitive.

How long does it take for osteopathy to work?

Many people experience positive results from their first session, but it depends on the severity of your condition and how well your body responds in terms of how often you should continue osteopathy for. In most cases, to see changes and make progress, it’s recommended that you book your appointments no longer than two weeks apart. Weekly treatments can help with faster progress. If you want to simply manage your symptoms and keep them at bay, booking every three to four weeks can be useful.

Are there any side effects of osteopathy?

Osteopathy is typically regarded as a safe treatment that only causes minor side effects. Some people might notice mild soreness or pain where they’ve had the treatment, as well as fatigue or headaches. These symptoms can develop within a few hours of your session, but they often disappear on their own within a couple of days.

Your osteopath will explain the potential risks of your treatment before you begin your session so you’ll be fully informed of any side effects you might experience.

What should I expect from my first appointment?

Your first appointment will last around 45 minutes – the first half of your session will be spent discussing your symptoms and your general health so that your osteopath can tailor your treatment accordingly. This will be followed by an examination, so your osteopath can assess your posture and ask you to perform some simple movements so they can formulate a diagnosis.

You will then have your treatment and at the end of your appointment, your osteopath will reassess your standing posture and discuss the changes and what needs to be done in future appointments. The length of your treatment and how regularly you need to be seen will vary from person to person, so this is something you can discuss with your osteopath.

Osteopathy can help a variety of people deal with joint or muscular issues in their everyday life. If you’d like to learn more about how osteopathy can help you, get in touch with a member of our friendly team today.