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You may not have heard of osteopathic medicine. It’s one of the least known fields of medicine. But the field may actually provide a good model for treating fibromyalgia. Though fibromyalgia is likely a condition of the nervous system and osteopathic medicine isn’t a field that specializes in the nervous system, osteopathic medicine takes a very holistic approach to treating a disease that might just be exactly what is needed to treat a condition that affects almost the entire body.
So what is osteopathic medicine exactly? And how can it benefit someone with fibromyalgia?
What Is Osteopathic Medicine?
Osteopathic medicine is a field of medical practice that dates back to the 19th century. The field was founded by Dr. Andrew Till, who rejected the most current medical practices of the day like blood letting and mercury dosing after realizing that many of these treatments did more harm than good.
Instead, Till proposed learning to treat patients as a whole person instead of simply focusing on one part of the body and the diseases that can affect it. And so the field of osteopathy focuses on more than simply treating symptoms. Instead, it tries to cure illness by addressing all the factors in a patient’s life like their diet, exercise, and even social support networks.
Osteopathic schools strive to produce graduates who can integrate their patients into the healthcare system as partners and aim to place doctors in rural and underserved areas where they can benefit patients who usually don’t receive as much care.
In terms of treatment, osteopathic doctors focus on the skeleton and muscle pains. Modern osteopathic medicine has access to all the modern treatment options to help patients deal with pain without medications. Instead, osteopaths use treatments like massages and spinal manipulation to help the body begin to heal itself.
Can It Help With Fibromyalgia?
Osteopathic physicians have suggested that their field is up to the task of treating fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a condition that affects the musculoskeletal system. And since osteopathy focuses on the skeletal and muscle systems, there may be some basis to the idea that osteopathy is a field that could specialize in treating the pain of fibromyalgia.
Some of the treatments that osteopaths specialize in may actually be a good means of treating fibromyalgia. Many patients with fibromyalgia report that getting regular massages is one of the most effective ways to manage their symptoms. They consistently report better moods, less pain, and a deeper sense of well-being.
And messages can help release tension in the muscles that can contribute to fibromyalgia pain and improve blood flow, which allows the body’s natural process for relieving pain to be more effective.
Osteopaths believe that a lot of the pain associated with fibromyalgia is due to a break down in the skeletal system of the body. The idea is that tension in the musculoskeletal system puts a strain on the nerves, which results in more intense pain signals.
To correct this condition, osteopaths take a holistic approach in keeping with the general philosophy of the field. They often recommend beginning with spinal manipulation to allow the skeleton to function more smoothly, reducing stress on the muscles. That procedure, combined with deep tissue massage to relieve tension stored in the muscles system, might help to improve the overall function of your muscles and relieve pain.
But osteopaths also urge their patients to consider their lifestyle as well, which is in like with the overall health focus they strive for. Osteopaths can recommend healthy diets which is known to be one of the best ways to help with fibromyalgia symptoms.
In addition, they can help you feel well enough to exercise, which is a very important part of a holistic approach to treating fibromyalgia. We know that regular exercise is one of the single most effective ways to manage fibromyalgia symptoms. But the reality is that when you live with a condition that causes constant fatigue and pain, it can be nearly impossible to exercise. Combine that with the fact that people with fibromyalgia struggle so much getting through the daily tasks that they need to finish to live their lives and that other people take for granted, and there just isn’t enough energy left at the end of the day to do it.
But osteopaths can help you regain some of the mobility and relieve enough pain to make it possible to exercise more effectively. And that extra exercise, combined with a healthy diet, can give you much more energy and relieve some of the pain of fibromyalgia.
And ultimately, that holistic approach to illness, which sees the entire picture, might be one of the best ways to treat a condition that seems to consume your entire life.
But, what do you think? Have you tried osteopathic treatment? Did it work for you? Let us know in the comments.
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