Rheumatology is a broad collection of conditions, and many of them cause pain. Often the pain is focused to joints or muscles, and osteopaths are recognised as able to help manage these symptoms.
Osteoarthritis is an example of a rheumatological condition, but it behaves unlike many others, as it is generally non inflammatory. It is not an autoimmune condition either, meaning it is not caused by the body attacking its own cells. Your osteopath is capable of providing you with a diagnosis for your condition, so we are in a good position to spot when something is not quite right, and refer for investigation and medication accordingly. Inflammatory conditions typically do not like long periods of rest, nor do they respond well to higher levels of activity. Your osteopath can help manage your symptoms by treating within the comfortable area, and advising you on how much exercise is appropriate at any given time.
There are a number of rheumatological conditions that might cause someone to seek osteopathic treatment, and two are explained in more detail below.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the better recognised rheumatological conditions, and about 1% of the general population is diagnosed with it. The condition tends to affect the small joints of the hands, feet, and neck first, but can also affect larger joints. Symptoms include joint pain, and both stiffness and instability. This is an inflammatory autoimmune condition, in which the body attacks the joint surface in an inflammatory episode. When the episode subsides, the body tries to heal itself, but the joint is typically left with increased mobility which can lead to instability. Joints of the hands often heal incorrectly, leading to the deformities illustrated above.
Osteopathic symptomatic relief may include gentle joint mobilisation to help flush through the inflammation. Massage techniques for the nearby muscles can help to prevent excessive stiffness, and a strengthening routine can help to support the increasingly hypermobile joints.
You can read more about Rheumatoid Arthritis here.
Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)
In contrast to the relatively well recognised RA, Ankylosing Spondylitis is often mistaken for standard lower back pain. As a result, there is a roughly 8 year delay in diagnosis. The best outcomes come from appropriate and timely medication, so it is important that the condition is picked up as early as possible. Signs and symptoms that might point towards a diagnosis of AS are:
lower back pain that begins before the age of 40
pain and stiffness that is worse first thing in the morning or after rest
good response to ice or anti inflammatory medications
a family or personal history of other rheumatological conditions (especially RA or psoriatic arthritis)
a family or personal history of IBD: ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
Diagnosis is made with a combination of blood tests and imaging. Not all cases cause changes that are visible on x-ray or MRI. This may be where the belief that men are more affected originates- women may be less likely to have the expected bony changes. Although medication is the most important aspect of treating AS, osteopathy may be able to help manage the discomfort alongside it.
