General muscle and joint (rheumatic) pain

Human bodies are subjected to huge mechanical forces and the skeleton is designed to absorb most of these stresses. The muscular system also helps stabilise the whole structure by putting the skeleton under tension, in much the same way as the rigging of a ship.

Normally this is well balanced with the muscles just working hard enough to help. However muscles and joints may be injured by traumas such as falls, bumps or sporting injuries, which cause muscles or ligaments to be damaged leading to painful inflammatory changes within these tissues. This can be effectively assessed and treated by our osteopaths to ensure a full recovery of the tissues. There is good evidence for the efficiency of osteopathic treatment for shoulder pain, tennis elbow, knee pain (patella femoral) and planter fasciitis.*

More often nowadays the balance between skeleton and muscles can be affected by factors such as poor posture, inappropriate healing of tissues following trauma, and long periods of staying in one position in poorly designed furniture. This can lead to muscles having to work harder to help support the body, which in turn leads to undue fatigue and painful or injured muscles and joints.

Osteopaths can accurately assess the balance of the skeleton and muscles and by using gentle treatment techniques, along with lifestyle/postural advice and exercise prescription, take away painful tension within the muscles and abnormal stresses acting on the ligaments surrounding the joints. The balance between these systems can thus be corrected preventing further occurrences of painful joints and muscles.

*Effectiveness of manual therapies: the UK evidence report. Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2010, 18:3 doi:10.1186/1746-1340-18-3 Article URL http://www.chiroandosteo.com/content/18/1/3