Pain management
Chronic pain typically leads to muscular pain resulting from the body’s natural reaction to tense muscles in reaction to pain. Increased muscular tension and the pain it creates, leads to further tension and further pain. This results in what is known as the chronic pain cycle, potentially also leading to psychological issues and depression, and further chronic symptoms.
Osteopathy can help to relieve and reduce muscular pain and tension, and improve bodily alignment and function. As well as directly relieving muscle pain, this also breaks the chronic pain cycle and prevents pain causing further, more serious issues.
Circulatory treatment
Healthy blood flow is essential to health and healing. Increased muscle tension and bodily misalignment caused by Long COVID can attenuate the blood supply to muscles and organs, preventing healing from occurring and potentially leading to a further worsening of symptoms and new problems developing.
Increasing healthy blood flow to muscles and other bodily systems is one of the key tenets of osteopathy. This is done through various treatment modalities including therapeutic massage, spinal and joint manipulation to improve bodily alignment, and dry needling or ‘western acupuncture’, which causes an improvement in localised blood flow in the areas treated.
Respiratory treatment
Long COVID is known to lead to various respiratory issues. These may include shortness of breath or getting out of breath much quicker than before, chest pains, a persistent cough, and worsening of pre-existing respiratory conditions such as asthma. These frequently lead to a reduction of physical activity and exercise and a reduction in overall health.
Osteopathy can help with breathing and respiratory issues by reducing tension and increasing mobility in the muscles which surround the ribs and chest wall, which may aid in breathing and lung function. We can also assess and prevent secondary effects of breathing issues in the body, such as aches in the back and shoulders, and postural imbalances.
Postural improvements
Postural issues are a common factor in all chronic pain conditions. Pain causes postural changes which can lead to more pain and prevent the body from healing or increase the risk of injury.
Osteopaths are experts and improving posture and overall bodily alignment, helping to reduce pain but more importantly help you to remain healthy moving forward.
