Osteopathy can help. This holistic hands-on therapy might be just what your body needs, says Nick Johnstone
Lying on my side, I’m on a treatment table in a clinic in greater London, nearing the pinnacle of my first session with osteopath Nandip Sehra of Bodyverse Clinic. Sehra has her arms pretzel-bound around my upper torso and with rolling crunches, timed to my deep exhalations, she expertly presses her bodyweight onto my stubbornly stiff back, shoulder and neck, triggering a loud therapeutic ‘crack’ each time. Each crack is a release, I can literally feel the discomfort that has been bothering me leaving my body.
I had come to see Sehra after three weeks of nagging shoulder and neck pain and, as with any first time osteopathic appointment, Sehra opened our consultation with a holistic exploration of my medical history, current state of health, diet, personal circumstance, exercise routine, level of stress, technology use and how sedentary my working days are.
“During the consultation we screen for medical conditions”, Sehra explains. “This may lead to a GP referral or being sent to A&E. I’ve had a few patients I haven’t been able to treat and had to refer, due to cauda equina syndrome (compression of the spinal cord), fractures, or presenting issues that require a scan or further investigation”.
A postural assessment followed and Sehra noted that I was rotating at the hips towards the right in order to avoid the discomfort in my neck and shoulder, creating a structural imbalance. She then had me undress to my t-shirt and jogging pants and lie down.
There followed 30 minutes of hands-on bodywork that felt something like a Pilates class being done to me, mixed with elements of sports massage, stretching, physiotherapy and even Thai Yoga massage. Then came the climactic cracking – known in osteopathic medicine as adjustments, manipulations or HVLA thrusts (high velocity, low amplitude) – which patients either fear or hold up as instantly redemptive.
“The crack or click sound heard from a manipulation is gas (nitrogen) being released from the joint”, says Sehra. “The build up of gas causes a negative pressure between the joints and can cause a limitation in the joints’ range of motion. I find this manipulation technique quite effective in relieving this pressure. It has the additional benefit of affecting blood flow and causing neurological changes within the area.
