Joint manipulation and osteopathy

Joint manipulation is used to get rid of problems of the locomotor system and particularly of the spinal column. This manual procedure where the doctor works with his hands can be traced back to over 5000 years. With the emergence of new surgical skills and chemistry joint manipulation fell into oblivion for a short time, but got again into the centre of attention of the physical medicine in the 1970s. Unlike many other manual therapies, joint manipulation is nowadays again part of medical studies, scientifically acknowledged and can only be practiced by doctors with an adequate education.

Joint manipulation works with exact movements and relieves thus tensions and malpositions of the spinal column and the joints. These so-called blocks can happen all of a sudden, e.g. because of an unusual burden, wearing of heavy objects or a whiplash, or they can develop gradually due to constant false postures or forced postures. They lead to far-reaching restricted movement, tensions and muscular indurations and cause pain due to irritated nerve roots which can manifest itself in the area of the spinal column and in a way which would normally not be attributed to malpositions of the spinal column or the joints: thus, the symptoms can occur in form of pain in the shoulders, in the back or in the legs, and as a consequence, in form of hearing disorders, vertigo, problems with memory and concentration, depressions, sleeping disorders, heart troubles, indigestion, prostate troubles and so on.  

The profound diagnosis of joint manipulation takes place manually. A radio-diagnosis for the exclusion of fractures, osteoporosis or other pathological results is indispensable in some cases, but irrelevant for the manipulative measures, since blocks in the joints cannot be seen on X-rays.

Osteopathy is a particular type of joint manipulation. The osteopathy („ostéo“, Greek: bones and „páthos“, Greek: ailments) was founded by the American doctor Dr. Andrew Taylor Still (1828 – 1917) who found that a disharmony in the body mechanics can disturb the surrounding tissue structures and the function of distant organs. This way special procedures with osteopathic movements, which are hardly perceptible for the patient, can not only treat local problems, but also profound dysfunctions. This special method for the restoration of mobility is often perceived by the patient as liberating and gives him a completely new perception of his own body. As in the case of joint manipulation, a single osteopathic treatment is usually not enough. In order to bring the joints, vertebra, organs and the tissue permanently into their original position and mobility, osteopathic treatments should be repeated at certain intervals.