Osteopathic Treatment Centre - Pain free,naturally

Osteopathy and Headaches

Headaches are one of the most common medical complaints of modern times. However, severe headaches are seldom caused by serious underlying disease.

Headaches arising from the neck is the most common type of headache. Other causes include:

• eye strain

• sinus disease

• neck injury such as whiplash

• tension headache from stress, poor posture, etc

• migraines

• jaw mis-alignment (following dental work)

More serious causes may include:

• infection

• hemorrhage

• brain tumor

Osteopaths, as primary health care practitioners, are trained to differentiate between headaches due to common causes and those due to serious pathology.

Tension headaches

Many people with headache feel an increase in the muscular tension at the base of the skull with pain locally, and possibly extending to the forehead and eye area. The tightened muscles and joint restrictions - from poor posture, stress, injury, etc - contribute to reduced mobility and irritation of the local nerves and blood vessels.

How does Osteopathy help?

An osteopath is a primary health care practitioner with appropriate skill and knowledge to assist your complaint and decide the most effective course of treatment.

Osteopaths assess structural changes that may lead to immobility and dysfunction. They do thorough physical examination, including observation and palpation, to form a diagnosis.

An osteopath will work gently with your body to:

• improve joint mobility, especially in the cervical spine

• reduce muscular tension

• reduce nerve irritation

• improve blood supply and drainage to and from the neck

• help prevent future headaches with advice on posture, exercises and stretching

• advice on improved ergonomic environment

WHAT IS OSTEOPATHY?

Osteopathy is a form of manipulation therapy, or manual therapy.

An osteopath works only with his / her hands, using a range of techniques, pressure, stretching, manipulation, etc. to correct imbalances in the body's musculoskeletal structure.

By restoring the body to balance, an osteopath is able to provide immediate and long term pain relief.

Osteopathy is widely recognized as an effective treatment for a wide range of aches and pain, including:

Headache & migraine

Stiff neck

Whiplash injuries

"Frozen" or stiff shoulders

Trapped nerve

Arm pain

Tennis elbow

Wrist and hand pain

Lower back pain

Back pain during pregnancy

Slipped disc

Hip, thigh and knee problems

Calf, shin, ankle, foot pain

Sciatica

Scoliosis or spinal curvature

Arthritis pain / stiffness

Sports injuries.

As body functions are related to the musculoskeletal structure, an osteopath is also able to correct functional disorders such as:

In the US, UK, Australia and many European countries, osteopaths are mainstream healthcare practitioners, Osteopathic healthcare qualifies for insurance reimbursement in most countries, including Singapore. Osteopathic treatment is gentle, painless and safe. Throughout the history of osteopathy, ever since it was founded by Dr Andrew Taylor Still in 1872, there has never been any known case of death or serious injury resulting from osteopathic treatment.

For acute conditions, one or two treatments will usually provide relief. For chronic conditions, you may need regular treatments over a period of time. Osteopathy and chiropractic share a common philosophy about the importance of the spine. Osteopaths use a wider range of manipulation techniques than chiropractors.