Common Osteopathic Techniques
Any Osteopath you may go to visit, may or may not treat differently or similarly to another practitioner you have gone to see in the past. Osteopathy is taught consistently to a cohort at a higher education level, it is therefore so amazing to see the different practitioners that are ‘produced’ from the university system. Once the new graduates are unleashed into the workforce, it is their special interests, mentors, environment and passion that shape them into individual practitioners.
In any one clinic, you may encounter practitioners who have worked together for years yet, they all treat and approach any presentation totally differently. The beauty about being an Osteopath is that you can really let your creative juices flow - there are no rules, within a set of rules, if you will. All treatment and management strategies are approached with the best intention of evidence-based research and practice, it is how this is applied to a patient that a practitioner can really be creative.
Stripping an Osteopath’s education back to basics, here we will cover the bread and butter techniques taught in the early days. We will discuss the type of technique and its application. These techniques are commonly used amongst Osteopaths who have a ‘structural approach’ to treatment, with their treatment methodology being predominantly hands-on.
TYPE OF TECHNIQUE: Trigger point therapy
APPLICATION: A direct application to a specific point in the muscle which works to decrease the sensitivity / pain output of the particular trigger point (a trigger point is a point in a muscle which has a generalised referral pattern to other nearby areas)
USES
Decreases discomfort / pain levels
Decreases tension in the particular muscle
Improves muscle flexibility
TYPE OF TECHNIQUE: Joint articulation
APPLICATION: A gentle to medium force is applied in a rhythmic pattern by the practitioner (in a particular direction) depending on the restriction within the joint under question.
USES
Increases joint mobility
Decreases swelling and congestion
Assists in breaking up fibrous adhesions (ie. scar tissue) that may be present in a joint from a previous trauma
TYPE OF TECHNIQUE: Muscle Energy Technique (MET)
APPLICATION: Uses the voluntary contraction of the patient’s muscle in a precise direction, against a distinct counter force applied by the practitioner
USES:
Increases muscle & spinal flexibility
Improve mobility to a restricted joint/s
Strengthen physiologically weakened muscles
Reduce swelling and congestion to a specific area
TYPE OF TECHNIQUE: High Velocity Low Amplitude (HVLA)
APPLICATION: The joint under question (spinal OR peripheral) is moved to a certain point within its range (may be mid- or end-range) using one or more directions of movement. A small, quick and specific thrust is applied to the joint in an attempt to encourage increased movement. A ‘crack’ or ‘pop’ may be heard - there is much debate about the origin of this sound - a common theory says it is a gas bubble being released from the joint.
USES:
Encourage movement through a joint
Decrease tension through the joint / region
Break up adhesions that surround the joint capsule
Improve circulation to the area and hence improve joint ‘nutrition’
These are just four of many techniques that are commonly used by Osteopaths. Other professions may also use these techniques, under different names however. If you would like to know more about how these techniques might be able to help you don’t hesitate to get in contact with the clinic by calling 9052 4220 or booking an appointment online by clicking below.
