My pain is gone: Why should I continue my treatment?

This is a conversation we have pretty frequently here at Not Just Backs- of course, it's kind of understandable. In our first blog of the new month, we're going to address it.

So, when you visit our practice you can be assured that your treatment plan is designed specifically for you and your issue. We don’t just simply focus on the acute problem- we work with you to find out the real source of your pain and issue.

For instance, you may have been suffering from chronic headaches. This could have been caused by a past fall where the pelvis locked and therefore jarred the neck and its muscles, resulting in a tension headache.

Following your initial treatment, once you are feeling better, it may be tempting to cancel your remaining appointments.

It is of course fantastic when you become symptom free, but the underlying cause may still be there in some form and there is often further work to be done. It is common for your symptoms return when a course of treatment is discontinued too early. Going back to the previous example, you would require a long lasting treatment in order to ensure the neck is functioning properly again and the reduced muscle tone which created the tension headache in the first place is aided. However, until we release the sacrum and coccyx at the base of the spine, the problems are likely to return.

You may then feel as though osteopathy didn’t work. It did work, as you were symptom free, but because the underlying issues were not fully cleared due to an incomplete course of treatment, the symptoms return.

Just as you should complete a course of antibiotics, you should complete a course of treatment even if you are feeling better.

Of course, it's your decision, but if our professional advice is X treatments, or we need to see you in so many weeks time, then there is of course a reason for that. Whether it’s getting your spine to function properly, getting the muscles to relax, helping with your posture, lifestyle advice, or something else entirely – it takes time for the body to heal properly and absence of symptoms does not mean good health.

Many patients, just like you, find that when they complete their course of treatments, not only does the original trigger resolve, but underlying niggles, aches and pains disappear and they find that they have more energy, are sleeping better and their overall well-being is improved.

If you think it’s time to book yourself in for a follow-up treatment, whether you’ve neglected to do so or not, give us a call on 01722 512 043 and we’ll see what we can do for you.