Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) is a specialized massage technique aimed at stimulating the lymphatic system.
This system is responsible for maintaining fluid balance, supporting immune function, and removing waste products from the body. MLD involves gentle, rhythmic strokes that encourage the movement of lymph fluid, which can help reduce swelling, improve circulation, and enhance overall health. How is MLD Applied?
Manual Lymphatic Drainage complements osteopathic principles by supporting the body’s natural healing processes, particularly through lymphatic stimulation, enhancing detoxification, and promoting fluid balance.
Here are some conditions and presenting complaints that may benefit from the use of MLD in an osteopathic treatment:
Anyone from teenagers, adults to older people can benefit from Osteopathy. A range of treatment methods are used depending on the age and individual condition of the person.
Benefits of Osteopathy may include relief from pain and assistance to help the body function better in a number of ways. These include improved mobility more ease with walking and other movements feeling more relaxed and sleeping better. Though well known for treating joints, osteopaths work with many other components of the body including muscles, tendons, ligaments, soft tissues, and nerves. Additionally, sessions involve giving advice on ways to manage a condition such as advice on posture, walking, safe lifting techniques sometimes specific strengthening exercises to do at home. Conditions often helped by osteopaths include:
Migraine headaches are a debilitating and serious daily problem for many people. It is a condition suffered by 14 percent of the population worldwide. Symptoms of migraines include:
There are many factors known to provoke migraines including:
Migraines were traditionally considered to be due to changes in blood flow within the head and neck. However new research supports a more likely cause of sensitization or a heightened sensitivity to pain of the sensory nerves and nerve bodies of the Trigeminal nerve complex, a process found in other chronic pain syndromes. The Trigeminal nerve is the largest cranial nerve in the head that provides sensation to the blood vessels and surrounding layers of the brain. Upper neck pain is believed to contribute to headaches due to a connection between the cervical sensory nerves and the Trigeminal nerve system. Additionally there are inflammatory pathways activated that contribute to the sensitization process through provoking factors as mentioned above and in people who have a tendency to get migraines. Triggers as outlined above along with having a tendency to get migraines activates the Trigeminal pain receptors and initiates release of inflammatory mediators causing an, inflammatory response. Though migraines are a complex condition Osteopaths may help migraine sufferers by taking a comprehensive case history and assisting clients understand and manage migraine triggers. Work gently using manual therapy on your body to:
Necks can be can be uncomfortable and painful and are a common reason for seeking treatment. If you have a painful or restricted neck how often do you notice that other areas are also distressed such as your upper or lower back or hips for example?
A long time ago as humans evolved to walk on two legs our cervical spines adapted to support our heads in the upright position. The cervical spine which consists of seven vertebrae muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, nerves and vital organs, needs to move freely to support the head, (which weighs about 3 kilos), and allow us to look straight ahead. As an osteopath according to our first principle “The body is a unit” I am interested in seeing how other parts of the body may contribute to neck pain. I am often using my hands to examine and release tension in the upper and middle ribs, upper and lower back and pelvis before working on the neck. My aim is to improve other areas that support good function of the neck and help the whole body feel and move better. Techniques I may use include soft tissue, inhibition and stretching of tight muscles, articulation of joints of the neck, ribs, shoulders and upper back and neural release of specific cervical nerves and their surrounding layers or dura. Things that may contribute to neck problems include:
Things that may assist good neck function include:
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AuthorMatt has 13 years of experience working as an osteopath in Hobart and Sorell, treating teenagers to older adults, and is a member of Osteopathy Australia. Archives
October 2024
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