Because an osteopath includes the entire body in their examination, they become increasingly adept at identifying connections between various issues within the body. Even when problems manifest far apart from one another, there often turn out to be underlying relationships. This also means that once one issue is resolved, other problems may also gradually diminish.
For instance, I once saw a 53-year-old man for the first time. Although he was an athletic individual—cycling weekly on his racing bike—he also spent many hours in his car and behind his PC; a lot of sedentary work. His primary complaint was pain in his right buttock, which radiated down his right leg whenever he had to sit in his car for longer periods. This complaint had existed since March 2015, possibly as a result of a fall from his racing bike onto his right hip a year prior. When asked if he had any other complaints, he said no, but as an osteopath reviews the entire body, regular heartburn and a recent inflammation of the oral mucosa also came to light. Patients often do not mention these matters, as they come for their back or buttock pain, but for an osteopath, these symptoms are no less interesting.
Examination revealed that the right side of his diaphragm had excessive basal tension, which obstructed the lymphatic flow from the right leg. The strength of the lymphatic flow is determined not only by the diaphragm but also by the contraction and relaxation of muscles in the musculoskeletal system, such as the leg muscles. However, these are precisely the muscles that are not utilized during prolonged sitting. An important lymph node is located in the buttock and, when congested, can exert pressure on the well-known sciatic nerve.
As an osteopath, you always want to know why the diaphragm began to malfunction. This appeared to be attributable to an injury at the age of 14. Shortness of breath must have been present at the time. When the patient was asked about this, he indicated that he had fallen out of a tree at that age. There must have been shortness of breath, as the patient was later told that his brother had dragged him back to the house by his legs.
Are the occasional bouts of heartburn and oral mucosa problems a coincidence? The cardia (a valve that should close the stomach and prevent stomach acid from entering the esophagus) is located within this diaphragm and can therefore sometimes fail to close the stomach properly due to an imbalance in tension.
And it is possible that the acidic air from the stomach also creates a vulnerable environment in the mouth. We shall see once I have treated the diaphragm.
