Lower back pain can be debilitating, this is why finding effective treatment is so important. When you suffer from lower back pain, it is impossible to drive long distances, go for walks, or hold children. These pleasures are gone for you if you suffer from lower back pain. Osteopathic manipulation is an effective part of lower back pain treatment.

Individuals undergoing osteopathic care receive less medication and require less physical therapy than those having traditional medical care for back pain. Osteopathic manipulative treatment is so much more than getting your “back cracked” it also includes kneading, and stretching and also involves some subtle motions with very gentle hands that move fluid from one area of the body to another. This treatment lengthens shortened muscles and gives back normal range of motion to joints.

It is important that individuals using osteopathic manipulation require less medication because much of the back medications can cause adverse side effects. Side effects from traditional medications can include gastrointestinal bleeding and also upset stomachs.

Osteopathic manipulation does not work for all backs. Individuals with weak backs, or those who have chronic back pain may not be relieved with osteopathic manipulation.

Osteopathic physicians believe that all body systems are interconnected and act as one unit. The musculoskeletal system, holistic medicine, proper nutrition and correcting environmental factors are all important issues in osteopathy.

Palpation and the human touch are important to gaining patient confidence and giving the patient effective medical care when osteopathic treatment is being used.

Because all body systems including the musculoskeletal system are interconnected and act as one; any disturbance in one system can have an affect on other systems within the body because of the close relationship between each system. Not only do all body systems connect and affect all other systems, the physician must also keep in mind the emotional and mental status of the patient when treating the patient. Treating the patient is more than just repairing the body or relieving discomfort it is also about paying attention to the relationship between the patient and their work environment, their home life and the environment they live in because they all add factors that affect the individual’s health. The goal of osteopathic medicine is to return the patient to optimum health. In order to do this, osteopathic’s look at both internal and external conditions that contribute to disease.

Some of the techniques used in osteopathic manipulations are high velocity, low amplitude thrusts, muscle energy techniques, counter-strain, myofascial release, cranio-sacral manipulation, and also lymphatic pump techniques. cranio-sacral manipulation is typically performed by cranial osteopathics. High velocity, low amplitude thrusts are used to correct misalignments and are rarely goes further than the joint’s normal range of motion. The vertebral joints are decompressed when high velocity, low amplitude thrusts are performed on the spine.

Osteopathy has a positive outcome when the individual has suffered from short term or acute pain such as from an accident or recent injury. Osteopathy is not recommended for long term, or chronic back pain.