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If you’re over 60 its easy to blame everything on “getting older”. That’s what everyone seems to do including doctors.

There are many difficulties that occur in the physical body with aging. Aches and pains difficulty turning your head, sciatica, stiff back, sore knees and headaches. These are some problems of getting older and you may be told that nothing can be done about it.

Osteopaths may help older people.

We listen to you, ask questions about old and new complaints and  then assess your walking and other movements of joints such as hips, shoulders and knees.

We then use our hands to work on your body.  Our aim is to release tight muscles and tissues through stretching and soft tissue work and gently move joints and encourage them to move a little further. we may also use special techniques to release the nerves in the neck, arms and legs to relieve pain and improve movement and balance.
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Osteopaths may help older people with conditions such as:

• Stiffness and immobility.
• Sciatica and nerve referral to the arms and hands.
• Weakness in one leg, arm or hand.
• Difficulty with daily tasks, walking and driving.
• Pain in the neck, back, hips, knees ankles shoulders.
• Headaches and sleeping problems.
• Digestive disorders, reflux constipation and bloating.
• Problems after surgery.

​It’s guiding principles have a basis in the healing power of nature believing that:

“The body is not a machine but a vital living organism with a normal tendency towards self-healing, elimination and health” and that: “Health is not merely an absence of disease but a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing.” (1)

In contrary to conventional medicine’s use of pharmaceuticals to treat pathogens osteopaths believed that disease developed due to certain factors lowering the vital force of a person affecting their capacity to heal.

Some of the ways that the early osteopaths and currently Classical School osteopaths aim to encourage the vital processes is through:

• Releasing contracted muscles and other tissues,
• Helping underactive tissues to contract
• Adjusting and balancing joints, bones, ligaments and tendons to each other and to the rest of the body.
• Release of peripheral nerves and nerve centres to relax tight tissues and improve flow to tissues lacking sensation and strength.

Another important principle of osteopathy stems from their belief that it is impossible to treat a painful or injured area in isolation and that it is necessary to address the problem as part of the whole body. The body adapts to a painful knee for example; however, this affects other parts causing pain and loss of rhythm and coordination in walking and other movements.

The aim of treatment is to assist in restoring rhythm and coordination as well as achieving a stable, unified structure for long term recovery.

(1) What is classical osteopathy?

Osteopathy is a skilled and gentle form of hands-on therapy that provides diagnosis and treatment of your pain, dysfunction and lack of mobility. and additionally encourages self-healing mechanisms in your body.
The body is treated as a whole and the aim is to find and treat the cause of pain and injury and to  create change in the body’s structure and so help it to function better.

Osteopaths treat people with problems presenting in the Musculo-skeletal system that are long term, (chronic) or acute.
Commonly used techniques include soft tissue techniques, articulation of joints, stretching, release of nerves and some gentle osteopathic cranial techniques. Osteopaths are trained to treat people of all ages including children, adults, seniors and the elderly.

Included in a consultation is advise on appropriate exercise, lifestyle, diet posture, lifting and walking to help with recovery.
Some things osteopaths look for:

• Difficulties or changes in walking
• Total range of motion in the spine, limbs and joints.
• Uncomfortable movement.
• Asymmetry in the body

In Australia Osteopaths have five years of training at university attaining a Bachelor of Applied Science and Masters in Osteopathy. This includes study of medical science subjects such as anatomy, physiology, radiology, neuroscience and clinical medicine.

Private health insurance covers osteopathy in most cases providing immediate rebates. The insurance needs to have “Extras cover.”
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People with chronic conditions may be eligible for Medicare rebates up to five per year. This involves seeing a GP and asking for an EPC referral to see an osteopath.