Well just had my first visit. Cracked my spine in a few places and after I got gotten over being cuddled and massaged by another man I quite enjoyed the experience. He also picked up on my longterm-hip problem that I didnt mention If you are feeling stiff for longer than usual, I seriously recommend it.

I’ve been a few times but after a series of visits to correct neck and back problems I started to doubt it was really worth the 35 quid I was having to pay each time. Haven’t been for about a year now and have no plans to return.
Unconvinced of Brighton….

I have just started a course of treatment with my local psychopath, sorry, osteopath. First session hurt. For several days after… But I felt really good once the pain wore off. I could become a fan if he can sort my lower back out.

I was quite proud to be told I had proper cyclists hamstrings and a cyclists neck too. Yeah, bikes have f***ed me up…

I get sacro-illeac problems every few years and get good help from a chap here in Edinburgh.

“gotten over being cuddled and massaged by another man I quite enjoyed the experience”

“If you are feeling stiff for longer than usual, I seriously recommend it.”

😯

Unconvinced here too – when I bust my shoulder they did all sorts of back stuff and ended up with more grief at a extortionate consultation cost.

The second time I did exactly the same thing, I didn’t bother and it healed far quicker and with less pain than it did with ‘professional’ intervention.

Due to having one leg slightly shorter than the other I regularly get crippling back pain when the muscles go into spasm. A visit or two to the osteopath and I’m sorted again for the next four months or so.

Yeah a massive fan. Had a back problem which would debilitate me for a few days at a time 3 or 4 times a year which went on for about 10 years. The osteo treated me for 2 “incidents” and I’ve only had one very minor episode since. He blamed scar tissue from an old bike accident.

I have used them and got good results but the studies show little objective benefit.

You pays yer money and takes yer choice. ?They vary tremendously in quality as well – I have paid the same amount for a 10 min session as I have for an hour

Get a proper job done by a chartered physiotherapist instead.

Use one a few times a year. I used to go when I had a problem so would be out of action for a few weeks. Now I go 3/4 times a year and they catch my back / pelvic problems before they keep me off the bike.
Certainly works for me.

I had a back problem that I went to an osteo with, he fixed it and found a problem with another part of my back that the NHS had being struggling to find for a year even with X-rays/MRI and many other tests.
And yes I know what you mean about being cuddled!

And yes I know what you mean about being cuddled!

When he was crouched over me in one position to gently crack my back I remember thinking ‘oh please dont have a loaded gun pressed again my leg dear gawd’

Imagine if your osteopath was a rather attractive lady… 😉

My mate told me the story of a friend who went to the osteopath who did indeed turn out to be a rather attractive young lady. She got him to strip down to his underwear and the poor bloke found himself no longer in control of certain faculties. The osteopath turned round to be presented with this chap standing to attention and trying desperately to hide it. She promptly went over to a set of drawers in the corner of the room, pulled out a spoon and without even blinking cracked it off his manhood. Cue instant deflation.

Poor sod…

prevention is better than cure: do some pilates. that’ll fix ya

In my experience a trip to the osteopath normally goes like this.

“Come in sir, certainly we can fix you bad back”

“There you go, all cracked, clicked and generally beaten up”

“Okay, I think this will probably take a weekly session for the the next year to sort it”

“That’ll be £35 for today. See you next week for another £35…”

Funnily I dont think this guy is short of business. He actually recommended Pilates to me and said 3 visits should sort me out. Along with the stretching exercises he described to me to get me started.

The Beard- LOL. Imagine the spoon didn’t work and your ‘mate’ is a Masochist…

“Okay, I think this will probably take a weekly session for the the next year to sort it”

“That’ll be £35 for today. See you next week for another £35…”

Yes there’s a tendency for that to happen. But Dentists do the same thing. It doesn’t mean that there is no merit in their treatment.

I found their difficult third album almost inaccessible, however the Acoustic Chiropractors new box set is an aural tickling.

i couldn’t function without regular trips to the osteopath.

before you start, i’ve done the whole NHS route.

my osteopath is an ex marine and former tour manager for Siouxsie And The Banshees 8)

he is also the first osteopath to actually tell me to stop coming as he was worried about over manipulating my spine, guess that rules him out as a greedy bastard

Yes there’s a tendency for that to happen. But Dentists do the same thing. It doesn’t mean that there is no merit in their treatment.

No but I’m sure there is a mountain of clinical evidence to show the merit of dentistry.

My physio did the old back cracky stuff after a car accident. Whats the difference between a psychopath and physio? Made me feel great but couldnt afford to keep going and still have problems years on, only solved by having the missus walk up my spine on her knees.

Having tried both Osteo and physio, I’m still to be convinced of the efficacy of Osteopathy. I prefer using the chartered physio I’ve found. I don’t like the way that Osteopaths always seem to build up to the finale of the party piece bone cracking manoevre, usually on the neck. Surely that’s not necessary for every treatment?

only solved by having the missus walk up my spine on her knees.

WHOOOA. I had mshora walk around my shoulders last week. Luckily shes petite and the bloke said its not worth the risk.

Thing is, there are good and bad practitioners in every profession? I think I’ve been lucky so far.

I don’t let him do anything to my neck Jo. It scares me.

WHOOOA. I had mshora walk around my shoulders last week. Luckily shes petite and the bloke said its not worth the risk.

Been doing it off and on since 2004, starting at the middle and working upwards with a gentle rocking motion I get 3 or 4 major cracks/clunks and my lung capacity seems to double instantly, along with massively more flexibility. Wouldnt recommend it but couldnt afford the £35 a week to have it done properly and the end result appears to be the same! I dont let her do the neck-twisting spine crack that is so ultimately relieving and lovely, naturally, but I can do without that.

Surely this is an ideal opening in the market for a Thai massage parlour that actually marries both strengths?

2 years of physio had no effect on my bad back. 1 visit to osteo and a few good spine cracks and no pain since in 5.5 years.

as thomthumb said… prevention is key.

I prefer Osteo’s as Physo’s give you the tools to solve the problem: stretches
Where as Osteopaths try to tackle the problem head on with manipulation, combined with stretching…

I have been going to yoga for 8 months now.. it has done wonders… recovery, overall fitness and flexibility…

My physio gives me stretches and exercises for home work but gives me a right good going over on the couch during the session for my money.

(you can have that innuendo for free)

Jojo, may I say I can see why he would/did?

Ah taxis here

I was skeptical until I went to see an osteo, buthe is excellent, sorted out some lower back pain I was having and some knee problems. I’ve been back occasionally when something flares up and so far he’s done well by me. Never tried the ‘come back every week for x weeks stuff, either’.

He tends to give me a load of stretches, and tells me to come back if I think I need to. I’ve had a couple of good physios over the years, but mainly I’ve found them a bit rubbish – just give you generic stretches and exercises. My osteo does all that plus has some consideration of biomechanics – so he tries to work out why you’ve got the problem in the first place. Good stuff IME, but some of them may be rubbish for all I know.