Osteopathy works! (Osteopathy)

Member Name: Leolover

Product:	Osteopathy
Date:	01/10/01 (1422 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: helped with problem, No more pain!

Disadvantages: expensive

About four months ago, the company I work for, generous souls that they are, decided to give us all free gym membership, hoping no doubt to breed a new generation of fit, happy workers just raring to work our little socks off with all the increased energy and happy hormones flowing through our bodies.

Never having been a fan of exercise, I seriously doubted my ability to stick to any kind of programme, but thought I'd give it a go. I tried a few classes, and found one that I liked, a kind of weightlifting class to music, and I also did a few cardio sessions each week.

About two months into this, I started to get a weird kind of pain in my upper back, around my left shoulderblade, which seemed to radiate out around my chest and down my arm. When I breathed in, I got a sharp pain in my chest, which really scared me. The pain came in fits and starts - it would flare up, hurt for a couple of days and then disappear completely, so I kept putting off getting it seen to, hoping it would go away.

One weekend it was particularly painful and I decided I had to pay a visit to the doctor. He was very dismissive, informed me that I had a "slight muscular strain" and prescribed some anti inflammatory painkillers. I went away puzzled and still in pain - the painkillers were pretty useless, and it didn't feel at all like a muscular strain.

I decided to seek help elsewhere. I dithered over whether to try a chiropractor or an osteopath, not really sure what the difference is, and finally chose an osteopath near to where I live. I wasn't sure what to expect, and I was a bit nervous, expecting more pain and probably no relief.

The clinic (in Clapham, South London) was small and welcoming, I didn't have to wait long before I was introduced to a smiling man in a white coat. He asked me some lengthy questions about the problem, my medical history and stuff, then I had to take my shirt off and he carefully exa
mined my back, commenting on the tightness of the muscles - not surprising, I'm a computer worker and rarely leave my desk during the day - and my posture. He then told me the problem was caused by a displaced rib, probably through lifting something wrongly - the gym class!

In order to correct the problem, he said my muscles needed to be loose, so I lay on my side on a couch and he sort of pulled them around, loosening them, then I lay on my back and he pushed at the rib, there was a loud cracking sound and the pain was gone!

I really couldn't believe it! it was that quick and simple. I was so impressed. I ached a little the next day, but the serious pain was gone and I've had no problems since. I'd have no hesitation in recommending osteopathy for this sort of musculo-skeletal problem. Doctors are fine with diseases but they really don't seem to have a clue when it comes to back problems - this wasn't my first bad experience with a doctor over an injury.

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