As above really, got a sore back and I'd prefer to get it seen to before it causes any permanent damage if something is out of place. Just wondered if anyone had tried it?

Been through the whole Physio, Osteo, Chiro bit over the years (old trials riding injury) but Chiro works for me as they are back specialists.
As with any other one-to-one activity it helps if you get a good one! BCA are normally best qualified.
HTH.
BOL, Pewe

I went to see an osteopath years ago, they diagnosed my back pain as being caused by a misalligned pelvis.

After a few massage/manipulation treatments it wasn't getting any better so went to see the doc, after a scan I had surgery on my spine and was fixed.

Mine was either a charlatan or absolutely clueless, I'd try and find one with a decent reputation before picking one out of the yellow pages

BTW Wikipedia says all I need to know about osteopathy "osteopathy is a form of complementary medicine, emphasizing a holistic approach" which my built-in bullshit-to-english converter comes up with "has no basis in fact or science"

[Edited on 19/10/09 by UncleFista]

I’ve got a bad back from a violent car crash (one of many ), that happened years ago and tbh the best thing for it is just to exercise and keep moving. I cycle almost any day its not raining and that has kept my back fine and as I have a desk job I need that to prevent me ending up unable to move. Sounds daft but gradual aerobics is probably what you need.



[Edited on 19/10/09 by Mr Whippy]

Always start by going to see your GP who will almost certainly recommend Physio and conservative medication before any other form of treatment.

Try and stay as mobile as you possibly can. In the rare event of you actually requiring bed-rest, then your body will CERTAINLY let you know about it - if this happens and you havn't seen your GP yet, then make an appointment!

Get yourself to hospital asap if you experience numbness in the groin or anus, or loss of bladder / bowel control (would indicate Cauda Equina Syndrome... nasty and can lead to paralysis).

Chiropractic treatment is still seen as a bit of a 'black-art' in traditional medical circles as the evidence for its effectiveness is considered wooly at best. Seems to work for some (made it worse for me!).

Hope you get some relief soon!

Buy something like this: Link and treat yourself. Excercise is the best way to sort most things.

The book has a good self diagnosis section.

Always best to get a doctor to check for something you might miss though

a more simple cure for some people is just to loose weight (not directed at anyone specific btw before someone complains and tells me to feck off!)

i had some serious back pain and went to see the GP, she said she wasn't allowed to recommend me to a physio, i have to ring an 0800 number and get booked in at the adult physio centre at the hospital, they then assess your condition and recommend a course of treatment, my sessions with the physio were about 10-15 minutes long and all they did was press on my bach really hard to try and loosen the muscle, then they said you just need to continue stretching and that was it!

if it really is bad see a specialist, NHS physio's are a pile of sh*t!

I visit a chiropractor periodically. It worked wonders on neck pain I was having. Because of injury, the joints in the neck weren't moving freely. This caused the surrounding muscles to have to work harder, eventually causing muscle spasms and pain that tablets wouldn't touch.

Chiropractic treatment does 2 things. First, manipulation of the joints frees them up and restores movement. Second, muscle massage relieves the spasms and reduces the pain. It works for me. Not cheap but unlike paracetamol, it doesn't rot your liver.

My wife's had chronic neck/shoulder pain for nearly a year, she went to a local well recommended Chiro, 12 sessions later and over £300 it was no better.

She finally went to her GP who sent her down to the NHS back pain triage clinic who immediately diagnosed it as stress related muscle spasms.

He then prescribed her acupuncture and physio (both by the same guy) on the NHS. And all done within just a few weeks.

She been working on her stress and is already feeling much better.

So, go the NHS route first, they're getting much better at this sort of thing.

I went to glasgow chiro and never again. They were very money hungry. Said my treatment would take around 30 visits at £25 a go. I was only in for minutes. They would reset the joint which felt great but the muscles would then pull the joints back out of shape. They did no muscle massage. They did hav a lot of fancy computers and charts and measuring equipment etc.

I ended up going to an oesteo in motherwell. He said it would take 2 perhaps 3 treatments. He pounds the muscles first to break up the scar tissue and then does the reset. He calls it a massage but after my entire back was covered in burst blood vessels. Quite painfull at the time but felt fantastic after.

Let me know if you want his details.

My own point of view:

Osteopathy works by manipulation. So it should work quickly. It's unlikely to do harm. If you go once or twice and it works then fine. If they start doing exercises to build up muscles, improve flexibility etc they're really doing physio style work and you should be seeing a physiotherapist!

The lack of randomised control studies for osteopathy is disappointing. The only one which I've ever found showed improvement in both the osteopathy group and the "sham treatment" group, without a significant difference between the two.

Personally I'd go and see your GP, go through the history blah blah blah. Physio services vary from one part of the country to the next....

My spine was very bent after an accident. It varied between 22 deg and 45 deg off to one side. two treatments at an Osteopath had me walking straight for the first time in three years. The third visit just pollished it ip the last bit. I have had to go back again several times a year since then, but the visits are getting fewer and much longer intervals.

Definatly worked verry well for me.

Also I have just lost lots of weight (three stone) and that has helped no end.

Well woth the money. Get a good one!!! My daughter has seen the same one as me, and also another (Edinburgh I think) second one just hurt her and did no good.

Mine is great, In Southend Portsmouth.

Regards

Chris

Am I right in thinking you're a GP Ben?

I've been through 2 bouts of back troubles which caused Sciatica, which is quite horrible.
I could hardly get off the couch and that was with the help of stong pain killers and anti inflamitories.

Kept going to see my GP who said there wasnt much he could do other than give me the painkillers and send me to physio which at the time i really did not want to hear.

Went to see an osteopath recommended by my farther in law who had, had bad neck problems.
£25 a session and the difference was remarkable, worth every single penny.
While it may not of helped the actual injury it made huge improvments the pain i was in.
The session for me consisted of manipulation, massage and some acupunture with electric pulses applied over the needles, was very soothing.

The physio when i was actually mobile enough to go to them was very helpfull, had 6 sessions of building the core muscles which i still keep doing up to this day with Pilates.

That all said if your back is just a little sore and doesnt actually make you immobile and you dont have any actuall alignment problems with your bones/muscles i would really recommend doing pilates to strengthen your core muscles which helps relieve the stress you place your back, plus you get to watch a loads of women in lycra

[Edited on 19/10/09 by Gav]

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Originally posted by scootz
Am I right in thinking you're a GP Ben?

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Originally posted by Mr Whippy

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Originally posted by scootz
Am I right in thinking you're a GP Ben?

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either that or a gynecologist

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Try acupuncture. How many people are there in China again? They can't all be wrong. But get someone who is qualified in it!

It helped me immensely for back and hand, damaged in car accidents, ice hockey and downhill bike mishaps. THEN physio to get things moving again. If they play that strange Chinese music, it's a bonus - very relaxing.

AND it wasn't expensive. I've tried everything else...

I had regular osteopathy for 12 years, originally it was weekly but gradually got less and less frequent. As said before, Osteopathy is a very personal thing and it varies from practioner to practitioner and I'm told from patient to patient, and it works best if done regularly.

For me its not a cure, its to help and its ongoing, alot of negative coments I've seen have been from people who had very few sessions expecting instant results. My Osteopath is very good and can tell how i am before I can. Weirdly, for me I feel slightly tipsy after a session.

to summerise, I'd reckomend it but find a good practitioner and expect a drawn out process. Also, don't do it in isolation, see your GP and consider every option open to you.

There is a very good Physio in Glasgow works private part time, she fixed a really bad referred pain I had due to a misalignment in my lower spine, two vists and some very gentle exercises fixed it pdq, not expensive either.


http://www.glasgowphysio.co.uk/

Back some twenty years ago I was suffering from a bad back for about one year; I eventually went and saw an osteopath. After six sessions I had no back pain at all.
I’ve been to see the same osteopath on several occasions since, normally for one off sessions. I can’t recommend him enough. After saying that their not all to the same standard and every back problem is unique. You might be better to see the doctor and take a course of pain killers first.

I saw an Physiotherapist after last accident. Insurance compaony paid for it. Worked well for me and probs contributed to my faster then normal recovery.

Ive also seen an Osteopath before and had similar good results.

My mother is a Bowen practitioner and that has worked very well when i have hurt my back before (normally muscular problems).

Id say its worth seeking advice and giving it a go. Several avaenues to go down and being no expert i couldnt advise what treatment would be best.

osteopathy is a structured form of physiotherapy when used to treat muscular and joint discomfort. It works in a similar way.

the "science" behind osteopathy and its ability to treat other disorders is complete quackery.

I'd rather visit an NHS physio first!

[Edited on 20/10/09 by cd.thomson]

quote:

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Originally posted by cd.thomson
osteopathy is a structured form of physiotherapy when used to treat muscular and joint discomfort. It works in a similar way.

the "science" behind osteopathy and its ability to treat other disorders is complete quackery.

I'd rather visit an NHS physio first!

[Edited on 20/10/09 by cd.thomson]

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As i recall you have to study for x years with the NHS and get a degree to be a physiotherapist. You have to study at a college to be an osteowhat ever (sorry, spelling isn't my strong point today).

I'll take degree educated and work experienced over college educated and work experienced any day.

Now if you present me with someone experienced vs something who's bit of paper still has wet ink .... i'm not so sure.

quote:

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Originally posted by cd.thomson
osteopathy is a structured form of physiotherapy when used to treat muscular and joint discomfort. It works in a similar way.

the "science" behind osteopathy and its ability to treat other disorders is complete quackery.

I'd rather visit an NHS physio first!

[Edited on 20/10/09 by cd.thomson]

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