While a regular check-up visit is not suitable for every patient, when acute symptoms come on for a non specific or trivial reason, the root cause is usually the result of the things that we do all the time, often repetitively over months and years. We are all subject to the stresses and strains of everyday life, our bodies are continually dealing with the effects of ageing, emotional and toxic stress as well as the physical demands. Our bodies adapt in response to the regular physical stimulus from our occupations, hobbies or sports where we are doing the same physical action. Muscles, joints and soft tissues tighten in response, supporting us as we carry them out. Occasionally these tissues can tighten beyond the point where they no longer function efficiently and become irritated to the extent where even trivial stimuli cause pain and stiffness.
For example, an office worker sits at a computer all day with a poor posture. Their upper back and neck muscles respond to support this regular posture by tightening up and becoming irritated and eventually stiff and sore. Then they might do some other activity such as paint the ceiling or dig the garden although, depending on the level of the existing irritation, it can also be just a trivial action. Their body is already struggling to cope with poor work posture but now has another physical demand placed on it. Because of the existing stiffness and inflexibility, the body cannot cope and their neck muscles go into spasm. After visiting the osteopath for a course of treatment on their acute muscle spasm and after the symptoms have subsided, the likelihood is that the office worker will continue to exhibit the same poor postural habits that are at the root of their problem. If these problem areas are not addressed then there is a high chance that the acute muscle spasms will return at some point in the future. This sort of situation is when a regular maintenance treatment would be advisable.
In a perfect world an osteopath would "cure" everyone at their first visit. In reality this doesn't happen very often as the root cause of most patients acute problems are longstanding, well established and continually reinforced by their occupation and lifestyle. Most of us pay a visit to our dentist every six months; it's called our regular check-up. Therefore in this sort of situation why shouldn't the same apply to visiting an osteopath? Preventative maintenance osteopathy is a much better idea than 'patching up' when something has gone wrong as it is often the best way to help someone reduce the likelihood of a recurrence of their symptoms. The benefits to the patient are less pain now and in the future, fewer problems occurring, less time off work and a sense of being looked after.
Blackhall Osteopathy offer affordable preventive maintenance osteopathy sessions at their treatment local centre. Just visit EdinburghHealth.com for more information.
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