Painful and often debilitating, osteoarthritis is a condition that affects millions of people around the world. Although there is no cure, osteopathy can be an effective treatment option, helping to relieve pain and improve joint function. If you suffer from osteoarthritis, read on to find out how osteopathy can help you.
How could osteopathy be useful?
Osteopathy is a branch of medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. Osteopathic physicians use a variety of techniques, including manipulation, mobilization, and massage, to restore function and relieve pain. While osteopathy is often used to treat back pain and other musculoskeletal conditions, it can also be helpful in managing other medical conditions, such as migraines, carpal tunnel syndrome, and fibromyalgia. In addition, osteopathic physicians place great importance on preventive care. By identifying risk factors and encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, osteopathic physicians can help their patients avoid many aging-related problems. Therefore, osteopathy can be an important tool for the maintenance of general health and well-being.
How can osteopathy help you reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis?
An osteopath will take your detailed history to understand how your arthritis affects you and what your goals are for the future. He will do a full body assessment to test your joint mobility, any muscle tension or weakness, your circulation and your nervous system. It will determine any factors that may have contributed to the onset of your arthritis (e.g. sprained ankle 5 years ago) that affected your gait, as well as lifestyle factors that may be keeping the effect of arthritis on you.
Due to the stiffness and lack of flexibility in your joints, an osteopath will work with you to help mobilize your joints and reduce stiffness, through gentle articulation and mobilization of your joints, soft tissue and indirect techniques. It can also tackle muscle weakness that may be associated with joint pain; The specialist can perform gentle stretches and exercises to keep your joints flexible and eliminate any compensating patterns that may have arisen.
In addition, the osteopath can also work on your circulation, improving blood flow and encouraging tissue healing, as well as lymphatic drainage to eliminate any possible inflammation.
Due to the heightened pain response that may be associated with your arthritis, the osteopath can work on your nervous system to allow efficient circulation of cerebrospinal fluid and allow your nervous system to calm down so you can heal .
The holistic nature of osteopathy makes it the ideal treatment for reducing the pain, stiffness and anxiety that can be associated with all types of arthritis.
Shintaro Sakai, Japanese osteopath, explains how to limit knee osteoarthritis pain at home.
The star Japanese osteopath Shintaro Sakai, who runs his own institute in Tokyo, however, offers another, more global path. It explains how those affected can free themselves from pain without medication and stop the progression of osteoarthritis. Indeed, “knee pain is not inevitable” and can be completely eliminated with targeted exercises, says Sakai. Doing nothing, on the other hand, is a bad strategy. All the experts agree on this point.
For him, osteoarthritis of the knee is divided into three stages, the third represents the most serious case. Nevertheless, easy exercises can be considered regardless of severity to relieve pain and stiffness. Shintaro Sakai suggests three types of practices:
1er Stage: Low osteoarthritis:
- The knee no longer extends properly
- Pain in the lumbar and cervical region
- The knees are bent a lot in everyday life, for example due to prolonged sitting
Exercise :
- Using a stool or chair aligned at knee height.
- Press on the painful knee. Lift one leg and place it on a stool/chair. Simultaneously straighten your knees.
- Then place your palms on the same side of your knees and press your arms vertically against your knees. Hold this pose for 30 seconds. Do the same for the other leg.
- Do this exercise 2-3 times a day. You can also use a lower stool if you can’t raise your legs to knee height. Since it’s important to push hard, it’s best to do the exercise standing up. It works best when you relax your leg muscles and visualize your leg forming a straight line from your thigh to your ankle.
2ᵉ stage: average osteoarthritis:
- Sharp pain when turning
- Knee pain when using stairs
- Swelling and inflammation of the knee
If you recognize yourself, practice the first exercise followed by this exercise.
Exercise :
- Fill your tub with hot water. Make sure the water temperature is equivalent to 39°C.
- Soak in the tub and keep your legs straight.
- After 10 minutes of warming up, straighten your legs. Then place your palms on your knees and press down with your arms. Hold the knee straight for 30 seconds.
- If you can’t stretch your legs in the tub, try sitting on your heels and hold that position for 30 seconds, then return to the original position.
- Then, while standing, extend your knees one by one. Stand in the tub and stretch each knee separately.
- To do this, place your palms on the same side of your knees and use your arms to press down firmly with the weight of your upper body.
- Hold the position with maximum knee extension for 30 seconds. Also do the exercise on the other side.
- Practice these exercises every time you shower, preferably every day if your knees are stiff. However, be careful not to slip or fall.
3ᵉ stage: Strong osteoarthritis:
- O-legs
- Pain in the knees during movements such as getting up and walking
- Upper body wobble when walking
- Pain in both knees
- Inability to walk without a cane or handrail
At this point, Shintaro Sakai recommends practicing all of these exercises every day.
1st exercise:
- You will need: two tennis balls and masking tape.
- The first exercise involves sitting on a hard surface like a mat or the floor. Lie down on your back.
- Place a tennis ball in the middle of the hollow of the knee.
- Bend the knee while straightening the hands on the shin to strengthen the movement.
- Stay in this position for 30 seconds and then apply the same on the other knee.
- Practice this exercise up to 3 times a day for a favorable result.
2ᵉ exercise:
The second exercise consists of taking two tennis balls, linking them together using adhesive tape. While still lying on your back, place the tennis balls on the tailbone. Make sure they are in the center between the spine and the buttocks. Remove your hands once you feel they are in place and hold this position for up to 3 minutes.
