Treatment

Osteopaths treat principally by using their hands.  Treatment varies from the barely perceptible feeling of cranial osteopathy via the stretching of muscles and ligaments, to the slightly more dramatic joint manipulation. This is called a "low amplitude high-velocity thrust" treatment (HVT) and may produce the infamous click in the joints. A popular misconception is that the joint has been out of place, and the click puts it back in. This is not the case at all.

Each synovial joint in the body has fluid in between the bones which facilitates easy movement. If the joint becomes jarred, or the overlying muscles go into spasm, the bones encroach on each other, squeezing the fluid to the edges. This can create a suction effect similar to two wet plates sticking to each other.

The HVT treatment puts the joint in position and then applies a very quick pressure to it, over a very short range of movement. The speed of the movement opens the joint space, releasing the pressure and this may produce the characteristic popping noise. Any "pop" is a by-product of the manipulation - in other words, it does not have to happen for the treatment to be effective. Much more importantly, there is a reflex relaxation of the surrounding muscles, so the result is a much more mobile joint whose surrounding muscle is no longer in spasm. The whole process is very quick, either entirely painless or only moderately uncomfortable, and produces a dramatic improvement.

Some other techniques are extremely gentle, involving placing you in a position of comfort (or "ease") for a while, to allow tissues to relax, or applying almost imperceptible pressure to support your tissues in specific directions, again to allow tissues to relax and, very gradually, be stretched back to their normal length.

You may also be given exercises to do.  These are an integral part of the treatment - this is how you can treat yourself.  They may be used, for example, to stretch shortened muscles or to strengthen weak ones, as part of a treatment programme, or they may be something that you will need to do long-term in order to manage a problem yourself rather than having to keep coming back for treatment.