Aches and Pains

It’s frustrating when your aches and pains don’t behave how you expect them to. Your osteopath can help if yours are persistent, recurrent, or simply annoying!

Osteopaths are primary healthcare practitioners: you don’t need to be referred to us, and we can diagnose your musculoskeletal problem. We can also treat it and give you management advice to help between appointments and beyond.

Common Aches and Pains

Lower back pain can resolve as easily as it appears, but other times it is more persistent. For recurrent episodes, your osteopath may be able to give you some advice for prevention. There may also be exercises that work well for nipping it in the bud when it does arise.

Minor sports injuries can keep coming back if the underlying factors are not addressed. This might be poor form, weakness, or even something further afield causing overloading. If sports are causing your pain, it may be beneficial to bring a video of yourself performing the aggravating action.

The early stages of osteoarthritis can cause intermittent aches and pains too. Osteoarthritis has a great prognosis when addressed early. Don’t wait for symptoms to worsen before getting it investigated. We can diagnose osteoarthritis or refer back to your GP if further investigation is needed.

The secondary effects

Some mild aches and pains might be nearly asymptomatic themselves, but cause a more significant problem elsewhere- like cervicogenic headaches.

The body is great at adapting to its ailments in an effort to minimise pain. Unfortunately, some of these compensations are not as efficient as the original function, and can cause a domino effect of adaptations. Even low grade aches are worth addressing for this reason if they are persistent.

Do you need an osteopath, doctor, or dentist?

For some areas of the body, it can be hard to know who you need to see for treatment. Things like the jaw are less commonly seen in clinic, but still within our remit. Often patients just mention them as an aside while being treated for something else, but they can warrant their own appointment too. Although some problems with teeth can cause jaw pain (such as malocclusion), for other causes, we can help. Stress and neck posture can take their toll on the jaw.

Remember that osteopaths don’t just treat backs. We can work on any joint, including the jaw, hands, and feet.

Aches and Pains that need a bit more help

Some rheumatic conditions might start out as little aches and pains. Your osteopath can help you distinguish a normal twinge from something that needs more intervention. You can read more about rheumatoid pain here, but some important clues that your pain might be rheumatic are:

• Symptoms that are worse after rest
• Symptoms that improve after gentle exercise
• Local swelling, redness, or heat

Some rheumatic conditions can benefit from osteopathic treatment, but sometimes medication is required. In any case, early diagnosis gives you more options and hopefully a better outcome. We cannot prescribe medications, but we can help support you in getting a formal diagnosis.

If you’re suffering from aches and pains, however mild, you can make an appointment now to start managing them.