Welcome to Your Osteopath Newsletter

Every two months we will bring you the latest news from the osteopathic profession as well as up-to-date advice on health topics relating to osteopathy. It won't be too technical; it will be straightforward, informative and - we trust - useful. If you have questions about any of the treatments mentioned below, then just contact us (see our details on the right). We hope you enjoy it.

Top Story

Osteopathy Passes Watchdog Review: The government's healthcare watchdog said the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) had met its performance review standards and praised the organisation's performance in particular areas.

The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE), which reports to Parliament, annually assesses the functions of the UK's various health profession regulators. In the case of osteopathy, it is the GOsC that regulates the practice of osteopathy and maintains the official register of osteopaths.

The CHRE said the GOsC met all the performance review standards and had a particularly strong commitment to communication with registrants and also patients and the public.

"The GOsC's Code of Practice and Standard of Proficiency clearly set out the standards osteopaths must follow and prioritises the safety and interests of patients", said the CHRE, "The standards are well publicised both to registrants and to students."

The GOsC welcomed the review of its performance "as an aid to improving service to patients and promoting public confidence in osteopaths."

The review also highlighted the Council's work in protecting the title osteopath; "If non-registered individuals do not cease from describing themselves as �osteopaths' upon the GOsC's request, it will gather evidence and seek to prosecute them. A number of individuals have been convicted before the courts. In other cases where the GOsC has conducted investigations but lacked sufficient evidence to pursue a prosecution, it continues to monitor the individuals concerned."

The review did identify areas where the GOsC could improve - such as how the register of osteopaths is presented on its website - but said the organisation had recognised where further work was required.

The CHRE's review - Performance review of health professions regulators 2007/08: Helping regulation to improve - can be downloaded from the GOsC's website (www.osteopathy.org.uk).

Health Clinic

Health Clinic: Getting On a Bit?
It's rude to ask your age, dear reader, but in the event that you are indeed entering your late middle age, or a bit older, you will no doubt be encountering some frustrations with the changes in your body.

The general levels of fitness that you have come to expect - perhaps take for granted - are starting to desert you, with more aches and pains, more muscle problems, stiffness and strain injuries. Your body has lost some of its flexibility and its ability to recovery quickly from exercise.

It's also a time when other health issues come into play, such as high blood pressure, circulatory disorders and arthritis, which add to concerns about quality of life, independence and mobility.

Osteopathy can help you - or an older relative - at this stage of life.

The British Osteopathic Association (BOA) says any treatment should start with "a full case history so they can understand how the body has been affected so far. Then, after a full examination and assessment the osteopath will be able to offer treatment and advice to help improve mobility, circulation and immune function, and reduce joint stiffness so that the older person can enjoy a full and active life in retirement."

The BOA points out that treatment for the elderly is usually gentle and "aims to maintain health and prevent further injury". The association also provides some golden rules, even if you are not consulting an osteopath. These include:

Gentle stretching daily to maintain tissue elasticity and joint mobility.
Walk as much as possible to keep circulation healthy and maintain muscle tone.
A daily rest, to recover energy for the rest of the day's activities.
Wearing trainers can help to reduce wear and tear to the knee and hip joints, and can also help reduce back pain when walking on hard pavements.
As the BOA says, "Pain-killers are not the only solution for the aches and pains associated with ageing. For more permanent relief it is necessary to eliminate the underlying causes of pain, a job for
which the osteopath is specifically trained."

www.osteopathy.org

Case Study/Asthma

The Case: Tom, a 10 year old boy, has suffered from asthmatic attacks since he was five, aggravated by any contact with dust and household pets. He is otherwise fit and healthy and is able to be involved with the normal activities of a boy his age. The attacks are gradually becoming more frequent and he is now suffering about one every month. In total he has been admitted to hospital on four occasions, and twice in the last six months. His mother is having her neck treated by her osteopath and is discussing Tom's condition when she discovers that her osteopath may be able to help.

She takes Tom in for an examination and assessment. After taking a full case history and examination, the osteopath explains that asthma is a condition where people have more difficulty in breathing air out, rather than in. So improving the way the muscles and joints operate in the function of breathing often helps people to breathe better. It is explained that when Tom holds on to a table or chair during an attack, he is actually fixing his arms and shoulder girdles so that he can better use some of his muscles of inspiration to his mechanical advantage. And therefore, by working on and relaxing these muscles his condition is likely to improve.

The Treatment: Tom's osteopath uses gentle soft tissue, articulation and manipulation techniques to improve the mobility and function of Tom's rib cage. The main and accessory muscles of inspiration are all stretched and released from their state of high tension. This aids an improved quality of breathing and fuller use of Tom's ventilation capacity. The osteopath shows Tom and his mother some breathing exercises that they can work on daily and explains why they're essential in helping Tom learn how to breathe properly.

The Outcome: Six months have now passed and Tom has not needed any hospital treatment. His monthly attacks have decreased to twice in the six month period. He now visits the osteopath once a month to maintain the improvement in his breathing function.

Body Talk

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: The carpal tunnel is found on the palmar side of the wrist. It is formed by the carpal (wrist) bones below as they create a concave �U' shape with a ligamentous band (flexor retinaculum) above, about the size of a postage stamp, forming a roof on the �U' shape. This forms a passageway called the scarpal tunnel, in which run tendons that bend the fingers and thumb, and the median nerve. This is one of the three nerves of the hand, and controls some of the muscles that move the thumb.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is when there is compression of the median nerve in the tunnel. Often the exact cause of the compression is difficult to determine, but as there is little room in the carpal tunnel any swelling or inflammation can cause the symptoms to appear.

Symptoms: The main symptoms are of pins and needles or a burning pain into the thumb, index, middle and part of the ring finger which is the area supplied by the median nerve. There may also be weakness of the thumb, or in some cases the pain may spread up the forearm. Symptoms are most common during the night or first thing in the morning and can vary from mild and intermittent, to constant and severe with muscle wasting. One or both hands may be affected.

Causes: It is often unknown why carpal tunnel syndrome develops but there are known increased risk factors. Thickening of the tendon sheaths that run through the tunnel can occupy some of the tunnels precious space increasing pressure on the nerve. Repetitive use of the wrist can lead to this thickening as in typing, knitting/sewing and using vibrating tools. The condition is more often seen in people who have previously badly strained or broken their wrist. Fluid retention is another frequent cause and it is therefore more common in pregnancy, during the menopause and in women who are taking the contraceptive pill.

Treatment: The object of treatment is to reduce the pressure on the median nerve.

Ice applied for 15/20 minutes can help remove inflammatory fluid (beware ice burn, use a thin cloth between ice and skin).

Avoid movements that increase pressure in the wrist joints. Your osteopath will be able to discuss this and advise how things could be changed to help the condition.

Osteopathic treatment can aid the reduction of pressure in the tunnel using articulation and soft tissue techniques.

Early treatment has a much better prognosis, so don't just assume it will go away, because in more severe cases surgery may be the only answer.

Osteopathy Highlights

In early July the European Commission announced proposals to give patients rights to seek healthcare treatment in other EU countries. The proposals were welcomed by Evlynne Gilvarry, Chief Executive & Registrar of the General Osteopathic Council, but she warned that access should not be at the expense of patient safety; "As both patients and healthcare professionals move increasingly within the EU, there is a need for greater patient protection through proper regulation and high standards of treatment." Currently osteopathy is regulated in only four EU countries, Finland, France, Malta and the UK. The GOsC has been working with osteopathic bodies in mainland Europe since 2005 to develop a consensus on standards of osteopathic education, training and practice.

The Sunday Times reported in July that Scottish Opera employed an osteopath backstage to help musicians cope with the rigours of performing Wagner's 20-hour Ring cycle over the space of a few days. The paper calculated that the piece contains, for the violin, around 75000 notes, which is an average of more than one a second for 20 hours.

This year's Back Show takes place at the Olympia exhibition centre in London on 4-5 October. Designed for people with back problems, the show is supported by both the British Osteopathic Association and the charity BackCare (www.backshowexpo.co.uk).