Arthritis and Ageing

In older people osteopathic treatment aims to maintain mobility, ease aches and pains as far as possible and promote well being.

The body can be likened to a car, in that it needs regular servicing and maintenance as it gets older! Osteopaths treat the whole person not just conditions, and thus a very wide variety of different problems can be helped. Osteopathic treatment is aimed at releasing strains and stresses that have often accumulated in the body over many years, thus improving mobility and the circulation to all parts of the body. The result is often an improvement in many different aspects of health.

Common Problems

Accidents, strains and other trauma

Most people will have suffered trauma at some point in their life, such as from falls, car accidents, or sporting accidents. Often people do not think that they have injured themselves at the time, but to the trained hands of an osteopath the effects of these accidents are often palpable years later as a continuing strain within the body tissues. This can make the joints more vulnerable to arthritic changes, and cause undue fatigue because more energy is used in simple every day tasks.

Treatment: Osteopathic treatment can be effective at releasing the residual strains from accidents, both recent or long ago. This allows the body to function more efficiently. Patients often report an improvement in pain or other symptoms.


This is the most common symptom of getting older. It can occur in many of the joints in the body, while some joints such as the hips and knees are more vulnerable than others.

Symptoms and signs: Enlargement and persistent swelling of a joint; aching, pain and stiffness, worse on initially moving a joint after resting; increased pain and swelling if joint is overused. Arthritis can affect any joint in the body, but the back, hips and knees are some of the most debilitating.

Treatment: Osteopathic treatment improves circulation around the joint, and improves mobility. Treatment to ease old strains held within the body will enable the joints to work in a more balanced fashion and with greater ease, and often delays the need for replacement surgery.

If replacement surgery is finally needed, the body tissues are generally in better health and the recovery is swifter. Treatment after surgery can also help to reduce recovery time.

How many treatments are needed?

Sometimes only a few treatments are needed, other people may take benefit from regular treatment, or an occasional “service” every few months to keep the body in an optimal state of balance.