Geriatric Osteopathy | Cruz Osteopathy
Welcome to Cruz Osteopathy, where we are dedicated to enhancing the health and wellbeing of our senior community through our specialised geriatric osteopathy services. As an osteopath with a focus on the unique needs of older adults, I am here to guide you through our approach, which is designed not only to improve mobility and alleviate pain but also to significantly boost overall well-being.
Osteopathy is an alternative form of medicine that emphasizes the physical manipulation of the body's muscle tissue and bones. It is increasingly recognized for its benefits in geriatric care, offering a holistic approach that focuses on ensuring the harmonious functioning of the body's bones, muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues. This approach is rooted in the understanding that gentle, non-invasive treatments can profoundly impact one's independence and quality of life.
Here's how osteopathy can benefit our older patients:
1) Managing Musculoskeletal Disorders:
Osteopathy plays a crucial role in managing various musculoskeletal disorders common in older adults, offering multimodal treatment options including manual therapy, exercise prescription, and lifestyle modification advice tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient. [1]
2) Improving Overall Well-being:
The extensive use of osteopathy, dedicating millions of hours annually to patient care, underscores its value in not only managing pain but also in improving the overall well-being of the elderly. [2]
3) Enhancing Psychological Outcomes:
Research indicates that osteopathic interventions can significantly improve psychological outcomes for the elderly, addressing issues such as depression and anxiety, and offering a sense of relief and well-being beyond the physical benefits. [3]
4) Reducing Hospitalization and Mortality Rates:
For older adults hospitalized with conditions like pneumonia, osteopathic treatments have been shown to reduce both the duration of hospitalization and mortality rates, highlighting the effectiveness of manual osteopathic approaches in managing acute conditions. [4]
5) Managing Chronic Conditions:
Osteopathy has also shown promise in managing chronic conditions prevalent among the geriatric population, such as reducing the severity of symptoms associated with Crohn's disease in patients in remission, thus maintaining a good quality of life. [5]
In conclusion, osteopathy offers a comprehensive, patient-centered approach to the care of older adults, addressing both specific medical conditions and contributing to an overall improvement in quality of life. Through our holistic and multidisciplinary care model, we aim to play a significant role in aiding the management of both acute and chronic conditions, fostering a sense of physical and psychological well-being among our senior patients.
For those interested in delving deeper into the topics discussed, the following references provide further reading:
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References:
​1. Adams J., Sibbritt D., Steel A., & Peng W. A workforce survey of Australian osteopathy: Analysis of a nationally-representative sample of osteopaths from the Osteopathy Research and Innovation Network (ORION) project. BMC Health Services Research 2018;18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3158-y
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2. Al-Shareef Y., Alshareef A., & Almoftery I. Knowledge and attitude towards chronic musculoskeletal pain treated with osteopathy. Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International 2021:166-175. https://doi.org/10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i48b3327
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3. Bohlen L., Shaw R., Cerritelli F., & Esteves J. Osteopathy and mental health: An embodied, predictive, and interoceptive framework. Frontiers in Psychology 2021;12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.767005
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4. Bordoni B. The benefits and limitations of evidence-based practice in osteopathy. Cureus 2019. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.6093
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5. Piche T., Pishvaie D., Tirouvaziam D., Filippi J., Dainese R., Tonohouhan M. et al. Osteopathy decreases the severity of IBS-like symptoms associated with Crohn’s disease in patients in remission. European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2014;26(12):1392-1398. https://doi.org/10.1097/meg.0000000000000219
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