Osteopathy can be of great benefit to any age group but especially in the over 65 age category.
With an ageing population and people staying fit and healthy longer nowadays mobility is a significant factor in maintaining our health and well being well into retirement age!
This is where osteopathy can help!
An inevitable part of ageing is the wear and tear that occurs throughout our bodies usually manifesting itself as osteoarthritis. Hand in hand with this degeneration within the joints comes a degree of inflammation which leads to stiffness and pain. Osteopathy helps to keep these joints mobile through gentle articulation, stretching and helping to reduce pain and inflammation, therefore keeping us as mobile as possible. Staying active and engaging in regular exercise also plays a significant role here. And often I explain to my patients we work in a partnership, it may be that they need treatment to release and mobilise various joints or areas throughout their body but they then need to do some work to maintain that mobility.
Movement and mobility are in my opinion as an osteopath the two most important qualities we need to maintain as we age.
With movement comes independence and the ability to continue to stay active and fit. If we can stay mobile not only will it benefit bone health concerning bone density and minimising the risk of osteoporosis, but also muscular health, and the overall health of all our organ systems. This is because movement means improved blood circulation throughout the body; delivering fresh nutrients and oxygen to our tissues and the removal of toxins and waste products (these are by-products of our body functioning normally, but can cause problems if they build up and become more concentrated in certain areas of the body). With good circulation, these waste products can be transported efficiently to where they can be processed and removed from our bodies.
Osteopathic treatment aims to maintain and improve mobility throughout the body promoting good health and correct functioning through bones and joints as well as the soft tissues surrounding them (muscles, ligaments and tendons) as well as supporting good circulation. This is why a regular maintenance treatment with an osteopath is often recommended, especially as we age, as it helps to act as a prevention rather than a cure for various conditions, aches and pains.
Written by Lydia Armitage, Osteopath