Yes, osteopathy can help with lower back pain. We use gentle hands-on techniques to address pain, improve function, and reduce the chance of recurrence by targeting relevant tissues at the pain site and other body parts like the hips, knees, diaphragm, and feet.

Ultimately it comes down to personal preference. Our osteopaths look at the entire body and have a wide range of hands-on techniques at their disposal. From joint manipulation, soft-tissue mobilisation, trigger points, exercise prescription, western acupuncture and even shockwave therapy. Aimed at providing long-term relief and improved function rather than a temporary fix. Chiropractors on the other hand use spinal manipulation as their primary tool which is great for influencing healthy misaligned spinal segments however if the muscles or biomechanics of other joints are the cause of the spinal misalignment, spinal manipulation will only provide temporary relief as it doesn't address the cause. The other limitation of relying on spinal mobilisation is that for those with degenerative changes, prolapsed discs and spinal fusions spinal manipulation is often contraindicated.

Many other our patients come in with muscle sprains in their lower back which has resulted in their back muscles going into protective spasm and causing pain and reduced movement. Gentle hands on osteopathic techniques are used to help deactivate the overactive muscles, improve blood flow, reduce inflammation and restore normal range of motion. We also look at the joints neck to the site of injury to ensure they have the capacity to take on more work while the strained tissues rest and heal.