Osteopathy

[Holdfast]

Anyone used an osteopath? Thoughts, comments?

A friend of mine used one yesterday. He's almost an inch taller as a result, just from standing up straighter. And he's a normal, healthy guy in his 30s. I was shocked at the difference.

It's kind of tempting. I'm letting him be the guinea pig for now, to see how long the effect lasts, whether he gets any back pain from the manipulation and how often he ends up going back. But from being a previous skeptic, I'm now pretty intrigued after seeing the results.

Any experiences?

 

[JonathonWally]

No, but I was thinking of going to a phrenologist this week.

 

[Michael Chris]

My psychiatrist is also an osteopath, and it is absolutely incredibly what he can do. My mom also went to him for this, and he basically stopped chronic sinus pain for several years.

 

[Tim]

No, but I was thinking of going to a phrenologist this week.

Yes, and I have an appointment with my witch doctor on Tuesday.

 

[Holdfast]

No, but I was thinking of going to a phrenologist this week.

Yes, and I have an appointment with my witch doctor on Tuesday.

You see this would have been my response 48 hours ago (along with quoting that great scene from Friends when Ross & Rachel's dad riff about her seeing Dr Bobby), but after seeing the effects, I'm not so sure. My posture is pretty poor, so if that could be - literally - straightened out, that'd be cool. I haven't really any pain, but it would be a lot easier to get my back manipulated into shape rather than do some exercise to improve my posture.

 

[Tim]

No, but I was thinking of going to a phrenologist this week.

Yes, and I have an appointment with my witch doctor on Tuesday.

You see this would have been my response 48 hours ago (along with quoting that great scene from Friends when Ross & Rachel's dad riff about her seeing Dr Bobby), but after seeing the effects, I'm not so sure. My posture is pretty poor, so if that could be - literally - straightened out, that'd be cool. I haven't really any pain, but it would be a lot easier to get my back manipulated into shape rather than do some exercise to improve my posture.

Was there any actual procedure done or just some advice given. If the latter, I'm still putting osteopaths in the bin with chiropractors and the like.

 

[Holdfast]

Yes, and I have an appointment with my witch doctor on Tuesday.

You see this would have been my response 48 hours ago (along with quoting that great scene from Friends when Ross & Rachel's dad riff about her seeing Dr Bobby), but after seeing the effects, I'm not so sure. My posture is pretty poor, so if that could be - literally - straightened out, that'd be cool. I haven't really any pain, but it would be a lot easier to get my back manipulated into shape rather than do some exercise to improve my posture.

Was there any actual procedure done or just some advice given. If the latter, I'm still putting osteopaths in the bin with chiropractors and the like.

No, the osteopath did some manipulation. At one point, my friend said there was "a domino effect down my spine". Sounds pretty freaky to me, but I can't argue with the visible results.

 

[Tim]

No, the osteopath did some manipulation. At one point, my friend said there was "a domino effect down my spine". Sounds pretty freaky to me, but I can't argue with the visible results.

Your friend is complicit in a conspiracy to make you abandon allopathy once and for all!

 

[Emher]

Eek, I couldn't be taller! It's hard enough as it is at 6'3"! No I'll stick with my naprapath. She's sort of like my therapist as well

 

[The Sneeze Police]

Osteopaths are medical doctors just like MD's. Their degree is Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). The MD's degree if Doctor of Medicine (MD).

Their education & licensing is essentially the same and they often share residencies & fellowships in various specialties. DO's tend to focus more on primary care, but may specialize in anything.

The only real difference is that DO's are trained to use manipulations of the joints and spine to diagnose and treat some disorders.

I wouldn't give a second thought about seeing a DO instead of an MD.

 

[thestrangequark]

Osteopaths are medical doctors just like MD's. Their degree is Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). The MD's degree if Doctor of Medicine (MD).

Their education & licensing is essentially the same and they often share residencies & fellowships in various specialties. DO's tend to focus more on primary care, but may specialize in anything.

The only real difference is that DO's are trained to use manipulations of the joints and spine to diagnose and treat some disorders.

I wouldn't give a second thought about seeing a DO instead of an MD.

This is true in the US, but in there is a difference between osteopathic medicine in the US, which is nearer to mainstream medicine, and osteopathy in the UK and other EU countries. Osteopaths in the UK aren't usually physicians, I think.

 

[The Sneeze Police]

True. I forgot that. DO's here in the states are sometimes referred to as ostropaths and I forgot that out side the US they are much more holistic and do not practice medicine in the same sense that DO's practice medicine in the US.

 

[Gertch]

Anyone used an osteopath? Thoughts, comments?

No. But I've been going to a chiropractor for many years for whatever ails me at the time. I'll usually go twice a year anyway just to make sure everything is in alignment.

 

[WillsBabe]

The only experience I've had of an osteopath was decades ago when I was a kid. I have a distinct memory of my father crippled by backpain going to the osteopath. He came back a couple of hours later walking upright and pain free. Amazing.

 

[JoeZhang]

The only experience I've had of an osteopath was decades ago when I was a kid. I have a distinct memory of my father crippled by backpain going to the osteopath. He came back a couple of hours later walking upright and pain free. Amazing.

The only experience I've had of an osteopath was a couple of years ago. My father crippled by backpain went to the osteopath. He came back a couple of hours later in worse agony and could barely walk for about six weeks. NOT Amazing.

 

[Holdfast]

This is true in the US, but in there is a difference between osteopathic medicine in the US, which is nearer to mainstream medicine, and osteopathy in the UK and other EU countries. Osteopaths in the UK aren't usually physicians, I think.

That's right. The fellow apparently has a couple of BSc degrees I think, and has been practising a long time so knows what he's doing. Having said that, both my friend & I are medical doctors, so my skepticism regarding the more unusual aspects of osteopathy is understandable. But I'm not thinking about going to one to actually get treated for a genuine medical condition, rather just to improve my posture a bit.

I spend a lot of time sitting down in a slightly hunched position, either in the car, in an office or in front of a computer and I can tell that the years have had an effect on my spinal curvature. Nothing pathological (yet) and no pain but there's a definite kyphosis gradually developing. I know that core muscle training would really solve the problem, but I'm lazy! Besides, maybe the osteopath can recommend some simple, low intensity exercises after he does whatever adjustment seems useful.

 

[JoeZhang]

I work from home and it always surprises people that the most costly piece of office equipment I've got is my chair!

If you are going to spend hours sitting in the damn thing, it's the best investment!

 

[Holdfast]

I work from home and it always surprises people that the most costly piece of office equipment I've got is my chair!

If you are going to spend hours sitting in the damn thing, it's the best investment!

My car is OK actually, I've carefully optimised it ergonomically and it's got good lumbar support. I really hate it when I have to take it in for a service or other work and the engineers move the seat and then I have to set it up again. Fortunately the local dealer is pretty good to only move it directly back and not touch any other settings on the seat/mirrors/etc. Next car I get I'll make a point of picking one with memory seats so I can just push a button to reset it.

The problem is work - most of the time, I'm in various NHS settings and they have appallingly bad office furniture. Combined with constant hot-desking between different clinics, wards, etc, one can never have a properly ergonomic environment. It's no surprise that sickness rates from musculoskeletal back pain is so high. I don't want to end up with back pain, but I can see myself getting it 10-20 years down the line, if I stay in this job that long (almost certainly won't though!).

 

[RJDiogenes]

It's kind of a roll of the dice, like Chiropractors. Some people swear by them and some people consider them at the same level as magic crystals. And that's because, depending on the specific condition of the patient and the specific treatment by the provider, things can go well or things can go awry....