Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, or OMT, is a set of hands-on techniques used by osteopaths to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. OMT is sometimes called osteopathic manipulative therapy or osteopathic manipulation.Using osteopathic manipulation, an osteopath moves a patient’s muscles and joints using techniques that include stretching, gentle pressure and resistance.
What happens before osteopathic manipulation treatment (OMT)?
Your osteopath will ask about your symptoms, lifestyle and other health concerns. It’s important to share information about your sleep habits, activity level, diet and other factors they ask you about that they feel are relevant. Osteopaths use this information to gain a clear picture of how your lifestyle may be having an effect too.
Your osteopath will examine you by touching or pressing on different parts of your body. Depending on your symptoms, your osteopath may refer you for scans before starting osteopathic manipulation.
What does OMT treat?
Osteopathic manipulation can help people of all ages and backgrounds. The treatment can be used to ease pain, promote healing and increase overall mobility. The treatment can also help patients with a number of other health problems such as:
- Breathing issues like asthma and sinus infections
- Bowel issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and constipation
- Chronic pain, including fibromyalgia, arthritis, menstrual pain and migraines
- Musculoskeletal problems like back and neck pain, joint pain and carpal tunnel syndrome
- Problems associated with pregnancy, such as swelling (edema), insomnia and sciatica
- Sports injuries and repetitive stress injuries
Through osteopathic manipulation, osteopaths manually apply a specific amount of pressure to different regions in the body. These techniques can help:
- Treat structural and tissue abnormalities
- Relieve joint restriction and misalignment
- Restore muscle and tissue balance
- Promote the overall movement of blood flow throughout the body
Osteopaths don’t just treat symptoms. Using a holistic approach, they focus on you as a whole person to find out what’s causing your symptoms.