How Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy Has Helped Me

One of the conditions I tend to talk about less on this blog is hypermobility spectrum disorder. Put in the most basic terms, the collagen in my joints is too loose. This can frequently lead to misaligned or fully dislocated joints. I tend to have a handful of problem areas, mostly places where I’ve had previous injuries.

The first time I had chronic pain problems as a kid was in first grade. I remember not being able to sit on the floor for story time because it hurt my back too much. Later in elementary school I started practicing gymnastics and my back pain went away. I’ve come to learn that one of the best things I can do for my joint pain is make sure the muscles around those joints are extra strong. That way the muscles can help to keep everything in the right spot.

Years later I ended up having to quit gymnastics because of two injuries that never seemed to fully heal. One was low back pain and the other was wrist pain. I saw an orthopedist for my wrist and they couldn’t find anything wrong with it so I just learned to deal with it on my own. Now I know that my pain is caused by inappropriate movement in my distal radioulnar joint, which is where your radius and ulna bones meet near your wrist. It’s a fairly uncommon injury unless you happen to be hypermobile. Unfortunately, I wasn’t diagnosed with hypermobility until I was 27.

I met my husband around the same time I got sick with IBS, and then a few years after we got married my POTS and hypermobility got much worse and were finally diagnosed. His family has always seen DOs and swears by them, so my father-in-law started taking me to see osteopathic doctors. This was all before I knew my current doctor who is local, so we were driving all over the state of Ohio to see these doctors. The first doctor I saw was the first person in 2 decades to actually help my lower back pain. In fact, through seeing him in combination with physical therapy my lower back is almost never a problem now, and when it is I can take care of it myself quickly.

Eventually my sister-in-law found a local DO and sent me his way. Over the years since my gymnastics days I have acquired a nice handful of additional injuries in my neck, ribs, and mid back. My current DO has pretty well solved my mid back problems (with the occasional tune up), and helped significantly with my neck and rib issues. I’ve also done physical therapy in concert with his adjustments. I think of my DO, my PT, and myself as the chronic pain team. Together we have gotten my pain to manageable levels the majority of the time, which is a huge improvement in my quality of life.

So what exactly is an osteopathic doctor or a DO?

DOs often practice in the same capacity as MDs. You’ll run into them in primary care offices and hospitals. But DOs tend to have a more holistic approach. They focus more on the mind-body connection and treating the whole person. DOs also spend more time on musculoskeletal training. Not all osteopathic doctors practice manipulation regularly but they all learn about it in school.

Osteopathic manipulative treatment is most often practiced by DOs in the rehabilitation field, sometimes called physiatry. It’s kind of like a gentler, more holistic version of chiropractic care. Using gentle stretching or resistance the doctor can correct structural problems like misaligned joints. This can help with musculoskeletal pain but it can also help increase blood flow to areas and relieve pinched nerves.

DOs do a lot of other things too but hypermobility is the thing I have the most personal experience with and so that’s what I’m the most comfortable talking about. With the help of osteopathic manipulative therapy I have been able to lead a less painful and more active life, which has also helped with my other medical conditions. I would certainly recommend osteopathic care to anyone experiencing chronic pain problems, or anyone who is just looking for a more holistic approach to their care.