“….the Prime Minister has declared that the UK is moving into the delay phase of fighting the virus, which will put the NHS and wider health and care services of all four nations under extreme pressure. This pressure will inevitably be exacerbated by staff shortages due to sickness or caring responsibilities. It will be a challenge, but we are confident that allied health professionals (AHPs) and their support workforce will respond rapidly and professionally…..
….A significant epidemic will require healthcare professionals to be flexible in what they do. It
may entail working in unfamiliar circumstances or surroundings or working in clinical areas
outside their usual practice for the benefit of patients, individuals and the population as a
Whole”– Letter from the NHS 19 March 2020
For full version, see link below:
A key part of the “delay phase” relies on all of us adhering to physical distancing, and the most vulnerable self-isolating for an initial period of three months. Routine health tests have been put on hold. All NHS resources are being diverted to prepare for and deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
And rightly so.
As a recognised part of AHP, where do osteopaths stand? Certainly not in the ICU. That is not where my skills lie. In a way, nothing has changed. Osteopaths fill in the space where the biomedical model does not go. We are here to support, maintain and improve health…thereby preventing the decline into disease.
How is this relevant to the changes we see today?
In the midst of this pandemic, life goes on. People still get back pain, headaches…and so on. Profound changes to our daily habits present new physical challenges, particularly with reduced movement, and possibly more couch time (especially now that Disney+ has launched).
We still get sick; a pandemic does not negate existing systemic conditions or prevent new ones. Relying on Dr Google has been known to cause excess anxiety. Osteopaths are trained to screen patients for underlying pathologies. Our skills and knowledge are useful for triage.
The mental and emotional toll of social changes also cannot be denied. This is a time of challenge, of grief and fear. It is normal to feel this way. That does not make it less scary or uncomfortable. One of the founding principles of osteopathy is that the person is a unit of mind, body, and emotion. Your well-being relies upon the good health of all these components. We are here to help you with this. To come up with new ways to care for yourself, and your loved ones.
To your good health,
Jackie