As an osteopath, I never focus solely on the symptom, but on the primary dysfunction: the structure with the greatest loss of mobility. This often yields remarkable results, and sometimes you are also pleasantly surprised by how the body responds.
Recently, I saw a fit 58-year-old man, referred by his personal trainer, with long-term complaints in the left hip, upper leg, and gluteal region, which limited him during running and strength training. During the intake interview, he mentioned that he had also suffered from skin irritations for ten years: a burning sensation and minor inflammations on the lower legs, elbows, head, and pelvic rim.
My attention was drawn to the upper neck and the connective tissue structures there, a region I often associate with complaints in the lower back and lower limbs. He explained that he had sustained a serious head injury at the age of five: a skull base fracture after being hit by a steel swing, for which he was hospitalized for months.
After the first treatment, the hip pain decreased significantly. Notably, the skin complaints temporarily increased, with a more intense burning sensation and redness. This pattern repeated itself during the second and third treatments.
After four treatments over three months, focused on the upper neck, the neck, back, and hip complaints were resolved. Remarkably, the skin complaints also showed clear improvement. This result was possibly related to the influence of the treatment on the immune system, via regulation from the brainstem and the autonomic and neuroendocrine systems.
In my experience, a skin problem is rarely solely the result of mechanical stress. The gentleman mentioned that he had worked extensively with chemical substances as a painter in the past. It would therefore not surprise me if this also contributed to the development of the skin problems. A wonderful side effect is that his skin also responded positively to the osteopathic treatment.
