Osteopaths, chiropractors, physiotherapists… how are they different?
As it is not the role of any health professional to try and define what another health care professional is, it would be best to ask people in those professions. But what we can do is tell you about the defining characteristics of Osteopathy, which are its underlying philosophy and its broad range of techniques.
While “Biomechanics” has become one of the most rapidly developing areas of medicine in recent years, Osteopathy was an early profession to incorporate biomechanical analysis of how injuries occur and what the secondary effects are likely to be.
To take a simple example, if you go to an Osteopath with a knee injury, the Osteopath will do much more than just examine and treat your knee. They will want to know exactly how the injury occurred in order to assess not just which tissues in the knee are injured, but also whether there may be any involvement of other areas with a mechanical relationship to the knee, such as the foot, hip, low back and pelvis, and the associated soft tissues.
They will then want to analyse any possible secondary effects. For instance, you may be “avoiding” the bad knee and putting more weight on the other side. Over a period of time, this may lead to problems developing in the low back or the “good” knee.
The Osteopath will then use this information to prescribe a treatment plan that addresses not just the knee, but all of the other areas of the body and associated tissues that may be involved. The plan will include attention not just to the joints and their associated soft tissues, but also to the blood supply to the affected areas, the lymphatic drainage, the nerve supply etc., in order to include all those factors which will affect the success of healing.
It is this “whole body, multi-system” approach that has been the basis of Osteopathy’s success over the last century.
The benefits of Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)
The Lymphatic system is a series of vessels throughout the body that interacts with the blood circulatory system to drain fluid from cells and tissues.
This system contains immune cells which protect the body against viruses and bacteria.
The benefits of MLD are particularly relevant in today’s environment where pollution, stress and a deficient immune system make people more susceptible to contagious diseases and viral infections.
MLD is a relaxing and gentle treatment where only light pressure is used to encourage the movement/flow of Lymph, thereby speeding up detoxification.
