Chronic pain is complicated. Sometimes there is no understandable cause of chronic pain, yet the pain and suffering are real. Osteopathic Manual Practitioners have a more holistic approach to pain relief that can provide relief when more traditional approaches do not.
Pain treatment in traditional western medicine is very mechanistic. It views the body as a machine. When there is pain, it is because there is an injury, so the injury and the nerves affected by the injury are the focus of treatment. When injuries heal but pain remains, the typical western medical approach is to provide anti-inflammatories and/or painkillers to provide relief. This approach does not necessarily impact the underlying issues and can lead to patients being reliant on pain management drugs for an extended period of time. This can take a physical and financial toll on patients.
Osteopathy views a person as a single unit comprised of body, mind, and spirit. In the osteopathic perspective, one needs to treat the whole person. Instead of viewing the body as a machine, osteopathy looks at pain as the result of complex interactions between physical factors as well as psychological and social factors, also referred to as the “biopsychosocial” approach.
