Osteopaths

anne49
anne49 Member Posts: 39
edited 11. May 2013, 09:49 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi Everyone

I was wondering what anyone thought about visiting an osteopath with OA of the knees and lower back. As in would it be benificial or not, I just don't want to be throwing money away, if it will not help.

Has anyone tried this sort of treatment and has it been of any benefit?

Comments

  • kentishlady
    kentishlady Member Posts: 809
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Anne. I have OA in my back and one of my knees has recently joined in! I have had osteopathy in the past - a long while ago, before the OA was diagnosed - and found that it didn't really help that much, but everyone is different. However, it's like all these treatments, you won't know unless you try it. Have you thought of having physiotherapy? Where I live we can self-refer for physio now. If that is not possible where you live, maybe see your gp and ask for a referral? Osteopathy is not cheap and it might be worth trying physio first to see if that can help.

    I did a self-referral earlier this year and saw a physio last month you has referred me for hydro-therapy. I've had 1 session so far but my pain seems to have been worse since (not sure if it's coincidence or not). When the physio examined me she did say she thought I have 1 or possibly 2 discs which have 'bulged' so that may well be the reason why I have got such extreme pain at the moment.

    Hope your pain will ease up a little for you soon.

    Beryl
  • anne49
    anne49 Member Posts: 39
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Yes I have been down the physio route and had hydro therapy. Each time I went my knee would swell up afterwards. Everytime I am mobile my left knee swells and is painful. Physio even did a course of accupuncture but to no avail. So that is why I thought of exploring this route.
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Your knee swells as a defensive reaction to the stress caused by the hydro, the physio and general walking. Osteopathy involves the manual manipulation of bones and I suspect your knee will swell after that too. Osteo arthritis is caused by the ongoing degeneration of cartilage, meaning that bones end up 'rubbing' together (and, in a vain attempt to help itself, the body can grow bone spurs too, I have them on both sides of both knees). My dad swore by his osteopath but then he only had the odd (but very painful) slipped disc with which to contend - and the osteo could ease that almost immediately.

    I have two forms of arthritis and, personally, an osteopath is the last person I would want to see. My masseur, however, is a different kettle of fish. She does ease some of the swelling (but not the pain). She is a sports therapist and she knows how to work the muscles around my painful joints to relax and ease them. I'd be lost without her. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • salamander
    salamander Member Posts: 1,906
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I used to go a lot but not any longer. The last time my osteopath treated me was before I got diagnosed with RA and my shoulder terribly painful. It made it worse and he had no idea it was an inflammatory thing - he always does quite a lot of massage but even that didn't help in this instance.

    I do daily stretches and a bit of pilates if I can. These were given to me by my physio and have been very helpful in dealing with back pain. Saved me a fortune!
  • hileena111
    hileena111 Member Posts: 7,099
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi
    Like a lot of people here I used to go to an osteopath and found it very good. But that was before I was actually diagnosed with OA and more to the point kypho scoliosis.
    I went to him a little while back {after a long time of NHS/surgery etc} and he looked at my kypho scoliosis and said he couldn't treat me now. It would be a waste of my money so that was that...one free consultation and I've not been back since
    Love
    Hileena
  • lizzieuk1
    lizzieuk1 Member Posts: 302
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Anne,
    I am an osteo- not ideal when u have ra!!!
    So far as oa goes I find its a bit 50:50 how u will respond and may take a couple of sessions to find out which approach suits your body best, I do lots of soft tissue work and less joint manipulation, chiropracters tend to do more, the idea is we keep the better areas working well to take the strain off the weak areas, keeping ur muscles strong but supple is really important so low impact pilates is useful, as is good massage but really an osteo should do that for you, each practitioner works differently so is best to go by referral from a friend.

Categories