Osteomyology

Our hectic lifestyles ask a lot of our bodies so it should come as no surprise when, our bodies protest!

An Osteomyologist may well be able to help you. Increasingly, they are becoming an indispensable part of an integrated medical service that complements, supports and augments traditional health care practice.

Although treatment is not yet available on the NHS, it is widely available throughout the U.K., with home visits and 24 hour emergency cover sometimes available. However, most treatments take place within the privacy of a clinic or private treatment room.

Osteomyology, breaks down to Osteo (bone) myo (muscle) ology (study of) so, taken literally, it is the study (and specialisation) of bones and muscles.

The application of this knowledge of the body gives rise to a wide range of physical therapy techniques which are utilised and refined constantly by the Osteomyologist.

Osteomyologists are often already qualified experts in their own field which may be Osteopathy, Chiropractics, Manipulative Science, Kinesiology, Physiotherapy or indeed any one of a number of manually based medical disciplines.

When the practitioner feels restricted by the constraints of his/her chosen field, and find they are lacking the tools to achieve a satisfactory improvement in their client, the natural progression is to widen their knowledge beyond the limitations of their society and training – This is the most common reason for joining the ever expanding ranks of Osteomyologists.

What can an Osteomyologist treat?
1. Joint pain and neurological symptoms.
2. Back and neck pain including whiplash.
3. Pregnancy related symptoms including sciatic pain.
4. Sports injuries.
5. Chronic conditions such as arthritis.
6. Repetitive strain injury.
7. Posture problems.
8. Musculoskeletal dysfunction including reduced flexibility of the joints and spine.

Treatment has also been shown to be effective for the following conditions:
1. Migraine and headaches.
2. Period pains.
3. Behaviour problems in children.
4. Diabetes.
5. Stress.
6. Asthma.
7. Glue ear.
8. Colic in babies.
9. Sleep disturbance.
10. Strokes and other neurological problems.

Recent legislation has made it imperative that ALL employers have a duty of care towards their employees. Osteomyologists are often consulted by Health and Safety managers and Occupational Health Nurses to advise on the suitability of furniture and equipment etc. Many practitioners have experience of legal work, advising and preparing relevant documents to support accident and injury claims.

The Association of Osteomyologists

The Association of Osteomyologists foresaw this requirement for the advancement of experienced professional manual practitioners and sustains this progress through a training program of C.P.D. (Continuing Professional Development). Their logo shows the coming together of different bodies, meeting as one in the centre, and this is the whole concept of an Osteomyologist. He or she has decided that in order to treat their patients successfully, they have joined a group that believes in sharing each others expertise to the benefit of the patient.

Back Trouble UK

Bio-Mechanics and Back Pain Relief.

When our body is in the standing position it is in a state of unsteady equilibrium because the base is small and the centre of gravity is a long way above it. That is why it has to be balanced by keeping the centre of gravity over the base, otherwise the body would fall over.Equilibrium: The steadiness of the body depends on the size of its base and the distance of the centre of gravity from that base. An object having a large base and a low centre of gravity is not easily upset.The first thing necessary in order to accomplish good posture is to straighten the neck, keep the chin down and back.

The second important thing is correct deep breathing. The line of gravity in the fundamental standing position falls in front of the ears, and in front of the cervical and dorsal vertebrae, through the lumbar vertebrae, through the hip joint, and slightly in front of the ankle joint. But this probably varies in individuals according to their build and height."Biomechanics is that branch of science concerned with the understanding of the interrelationships of structure and function of living beings with respect to the kinematics and kinetics of motion"Poor Posture associated by the following:

Genetic disorders, Familial association, Irregular/no exercise, Bad habits when sitting or standing, Carrying excess loads, (School/shopping) Underweight/Overweight (Inadequate diet)Mental Attitude towards oneself.

Biomechanics is our way of describing how each bit of your body moves in relation to another bit.
Our bodies are fantastic at compensating when things are not quite perfect but unfortunately when we run out of compensations we usually end up with pain and stiffness.

Let’s have a look at some of the more common biomechanical problems:

Problem 1.
It’s the fashion not to tie trainers and shoes up but this prevents the shoe from supporting the inside of the foot and allows the foot to roll or ‘pronate’ too much in standing and walking.
This means the knee and the hip rolls inwards too much which makes the inside calf and inside thigh muscle shorter. The iliotibial band can then rub against the outside knee giving pain.
Further up, the bottom muscles become too long and stop working as they should do which puts added stress on the pelvis and low back joints. Before you know it you have back pain, knee pain and ankle pain! And all because of fashion!

Problem 2.
Whether you drive 5 miles or 500 miles a day your car seat is really important. In many cars the base of the seat slopes backwards. In fact some of the more expensive cars are the worst because they want you to feel ‘snug’ and safe in the seat. However, this position forces your pelvis to sit too far backwards.

Once this happens your low back and upper back flex forward too much but then your neck muscles have to work really hard to stop your head from flexing too much and allow you to see where you are going. This position then forces your shoulder blades to stretch too far forwards and a large stress is placed on both the front and the back of the shoulder.
The result is neck pain and /or upper or low back pain. This position can exacerbate sciatica as it is a big stretch for the nerves.

The solution is to raise the back of the seat so it becomes more horizontal. Some cars allow you to alter this angle but if yours does not then sit on a small cushion or buy a special wedge shape cushion that fits into the seat.

Terry O’Brien
Back Trouble UK.