Have you ever experienced sitting down for hours typing away on your laptop and suddenly feeling a dull, aching pain in your back? Well, back pain is one of the most common medical conditions affecting 8 out of 10 people at some point in their lifetime but unfortunately, do not get as much attention because many tend to brush the symptoms off. However, not seeking treatment early can affect your quality of life in the long run.
Apart from back pain, there are countless other bodily pains and injuries that will require prompt treatment too. A popular alternative to medications and invasive treatments like surgery is osteopathy. It is a drug-free and non-invasive form of manual therapy that aims to improve health across all body systems by manipulating and strengthening the musculoskeletal framework.
The best thing about osteopathy is that this all-natural approach is suitable for people of all ages, ranging from infants to seniors. Read on to find out more about how osteopathy can benefit you.
Osteopathy for infants
It is a common misconception that osteopathy is not suitable for babies due to their fragile bodies. But contrary to popular belief, cranial osteopathy is an ultra-gentle and relaxing, holistic alternative approach to calming infants, improving their sleep and resolving a myriad of health issues.
Cranial osteopaths use a highly trained sense of touch to feel subtle changes in tension and tissue quality throughout the whole body so as to diagnose areas of strain or dysfunction. The treatment involves lightly manipulating the bones and connective tissues of the brain and cranium to achieve balanced symmetry, which results in improved overall health.
The osteopath will first examine a baby’s joints, muscles and cranial bones of the skull before coming up with a tailored treatment plan that corrects tension in various areas of the body. Cranial osteopathy does not just help with digestive issues (reflux and constipation) and breastfeeding challenges (latching difficulty), but also assists the baby to grow well and healthily.
Osteopathy for athletes
Osteopathy is also great for athletes as it has positive effects on joint pain and injury, and also helps athletes stay fit so they can bring their A-game to every match.
Common sports injuries like sprains and strains will benefit from osteopathy treatments through soft tissue release, dry needling, taping, manipulation of the joints and more. All these help the body to recover quicker and prevent re-injury by strengthening the joints and muscles.
Aside from relieving the symptoms of a sports injury, osteopathy can also help athletes improve their performance by loosening the muscles before a game, and then relaxing by cooling down at the end of a session.
Osteopathy for pregnant women
Similar to infants, many have the misconception that pregnant women should never undergo osteopathy treatments for fear of affecting the foetus. However, osteopathy is safe for pregnant women and is able to help minimise stress and discomforts that come with pregnancy.
Osteopaths will utilise gentle approaches to ease any aches and pains in the body and improve flexibility in the pelvis and abdomen to help pregnant women prepare for labour. They may even provide advice on breathing techniques, stretches and exercises that will help women maintain health and wellbeing throughout the 9 months of pregnancy.
The treatments are not just beneficial during pregnancy, but also during the postnatal period when mothers experience muscle fatigue and joint pain. A range of techniques like soft tissue therapy and myofascial release help relieve pain and tension, as well as improve musculoskeletal and joint function.
Osteopathy for seniors
As we all know, the elderly are susceptible to natural wear and tear of the musculoskeletal system as they age but other than conditions like osteoarthritis, seniors may also experience problems like weakness in the bladder and post-operative scar tissue. Thankfully, these conditions can be improved with the help of visceral osteopathy.
It is a practice that involves manual therapy of the organs in the body to ease any restrictions in the normal glide and slide movements, usually caused by past infection or illness, traumatic injuries, scar tissue following surgery and poor posture.
Visceral osteopathy assesses, diagnoses and treats the organs to restore motion and function so that bladder and bowel issues, related joint pain and other conditions that seniors tend to be more vulnerable to can be helped.
Book an osteopathy appointment in Singapore today
We have a team of highly qualified and experienced osteopaths here at Edge Healthcare, an osteopathic centre in Singapore.
Book an appointment today to find out what we can do for you!
