Dealing with Pain: Osteopathic Manipulation Treatments

Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is hands on care, in which your physician will treat, diagnose, or prevent illness using manual palpitations. The underlying principle holds that the patient’s history of illness and physical trauma is written into the body’s structure. A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) will gently move muscles and joints using techniques including stretching, especially with gentle pressure and resistance. 

Your physician will have been specially trained in the musculoskeletal system, which is comprised of an intricate system of muscles, nerves, and bones. Their nuanced and intricate understanding of the interconnections between all facets of the body means that a DO can locate a “blueprint” of an illness through the way the musculoskeletal system is connected. 

How Does it Work?

The aim of OMT is to relieve joint restriction by focusing on misalignment, this is done by with a focus on manually treating structural and tissue abnormalities, restoring muscle strength by promoting tissue balance, and finally – and potentially most importantly, by promoting the overall movement of blood flow throughout the body.

Just as there are many types of chronic pains, there are a multitude of treatment options from medication to the hands-on techniques detailed above. 

Our physicians’ practice in any school of medicine, but our DOs have taken the time to receive an additional 300-500 hours in the study of the body’s muscular skeletal system. Their highly developed sense of touch allows them to understand physical traumas that are written into the body’s structure by palpitating the patients living anatomy.

Who Can it Help?

As well as helping people with localized musculoskeletal damage, OMT has been clinically proven to help these other common illnesses.

·       Asthma

·       Sinus Disorders

·       Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

·       Migraines

·       Menstrual Pains

How Do I Get Referred?

Please contact us at The Mount Sinai Department of Rehabilitative Medicine and make an appointment today or to speak to one of our DO physicians.

If you have or would like to be recommended a OST and would like to do it with us at Mount Sinai, or if you are having one with us soon and would like more information, please contact us on (212) 241-6321) to see if our physicians can further help.

Laminectomy, The Surgical Response to Sciatica

Laminectomy, the surgical response to sciatica

Sciatica is a symptom of spine damage that can usually be remedied at home. There are a myriad of steps you can take in tending to sciatica without needing surgery. However, in some cases patients need to undergo surgery to alleviate their symptoms. This procedure removes the lamina (a small vertebra in the spine), it may also remove bone spurs in your spine and takes anywhere between 1 and 3 hours. This process has the aim of reducing pressure in your spinal column; in turn lessening the symptoms of sciatica. 

The procedure is often done to treat spinal stenosis. It removes damaged bones or discs. As we explored in last week’s blog, sciatica is a symptom, and not a cause – and the best way to cure sciatica is to tackle the underlying problem. 

It is important to have an x-ray or MRI of your spine before making any decisions to undergo surgery. You must divulge any medication you are taking to your health provider.

Before you leave your home, ensure you leave it prepared for when you return. You must refrain from smoking in the days leading up to your surgery. It is imperative you do not smoke after the surgery is complete. You must speak with your doctor if you have been drinking lots of alcohol, especially if your consumption could be considered alcohol abuse. 

You will likely be asked to not drink or eat anything for 6 – 12 hours before the procedure. With everything prepared, you are ready undergo your Laminectomy. 

Laminectomy opens your spinal column with the aim of giving spinal nerves more space to move. You will be asleep and feel no pain. The procedure begins with you lying face down on the operating table. Once the anaesthetic kicks in, the surgeon makes an incision in your back.

The skin, muscles, and ligaments are moved to the side. Depending on the cause of sciatica, part or all of the lamina bones may be removed on both sides of your spine. Your surgeon may then remove small disc fragments, bone spurs, or other soft tissues. The muscles and other tissues are back in place. The skin is sewn together.

After waking, you will be encouraged to get up and walk around as soon as the anaesthesia wears off. You will be allowed to go home around 1 to 3 days after their surgery.

You will be able to drive within a week and resume light work after around 4 weeks. The surgery should relieve the patient of all symptoms of sciatica due to addressing the root cause of the problem.

As we have stressed in previous blogs, surgical procedure is not recommended as a treatment for sciatica – it should be a last resort and not a go-to when the symptoms of sciatica kick in. Before thinking about surgery, you should consult your physician and discuss options. Alternatively, you can read our blogs on living with sciatica found here.

Sciatica usually goes away on its own if you follow our guidelines. However, if you need a consultation, or are suffering from any of the symptoms outlined at the end of the article, please contact us on (212) 241-6321 to book an appointment.