Thinking Osteopathically: A Case of 30 Years of Back Pain

In this clinical case presentation, Institute of Classical Osteopathy Senior Lecturer Ben Adams explores the assessment and treatment of a man in his fifties who had experienced persistent back pain for more than 30 years.

The patient had previously consulted numerous osteopaths, chiropractors, physiotherapists and medical specialists, often experiencing only temporary relief. His history also included a cervical disc prolapse and a significant high-speed road traffic accident.

Rather than focusing solely on the painful areas, Ben explains how he approached the case by looking at the patient as a whole and asking a different question:

What forces have been acting on this person’s body over time to create the symptoms we see today?

The presentation explores how an understanding of global body mechanics, compensation and adaptation can change the way we approach complex and persistent presentations. Ben discusses his reasoning for beginning with the pelvis, sacroiliac joints and wider mechanical organisation rather than simply treating the neck and lower back where the patient experienced his symptoms.

He also considers:

• The importance of understanding why symptoms may repeatedly return
• Moving beyond the cycle of treating the painful area alone
• The role of long-lever techniques in influencing whole-body mechanics
• Trophicity and its place within classical osteopathic thinking
• How clear clinical reasoning can simplify apparently complex cases
• The importance of helping patients understand what has happened to their body and why

The video concludes with the patient’s own account of his experience. After more than three decades of recurring pain and having previously sought help from many different practitioners and medical specialists, he described the change he experienced following treatment as “a miracle.”

This case is not presented as a claim that osteopathic treatment produces miraculous results, nor as a guarantee that other patients will respond in the same way. It is an individual patient’s experience and an opportunity to explore the clinical reasoning behind Ben’s approach.

The central message is simple:

It is not always about where the pain is. It is about understanding why it is there.

Presented by Ben Adams, Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Classical Osteopathy, as part of Thinking Osteopathically: Case-Based Clinical Discussions.

Learn more about the Institute of Classical Osteopathy and our postgraduate education at classical-osteopathy.org.

#ClassicalOsteopathy #ThinkingOsteopathically #Osteopathy #ClinicalReasoning #CaseStudy #ChronicBackPain #BackPain #WholeBodyApproach #BodyMechanics #OsteopathicTreatment #OsteopathicEducation #LongLeverTechnique #Trophicity #PatientStory #MiracleRecovery #BenAdams #InstituteOfClassicalOsteopathy #ICO

Eyal Lederman's 2010 paper The Fall of the Postural–Structural–Biomechanical Model is often presented as the moment osteopathy moved beyond structure and into a modern biopsychosocial era.

But what if Lederman was right about his target — and the profession drew the wrong conclusion?

In this episode, I explore what Lederman actually criticised, why many of his objections were justified, and why the practice he dismantled may not have been osteopathy at all. Instead, I argue that osteopathy had already drifted away from its founding principle: that the body is a living, organised whole whose structure, function and adaptation cannot be reduced to isolated findings or faults.

This is not a call to return to the past. It is an argument for recovering the principle of unity, translating the insights of Still and Littlejohn into contemporary terms, and asking from what place osteopathy should move forward.

A discussion of history, science, palpation, mechanobiology and the future identity of the profession.

In this episode I speak with Diego Etayo Gomez, former Chairman of the Institute of Classical Osteopathy and one of the key figures in the organisation’s modern history.

Diego has been an integral part of the ICO for many years, helping to preserve and develop the traditions of classical osteopathy while also bringing this work to a wider audience. Beyond his work in the UK, he has played a central role in introducing and teaching classical osteopathy in Spain, inspiring many osteopaths and building a thriving community of practitioners.

We discuss his journey into osteopathy, the challenges of teaching and preserving classical principles, and his experiences establishing this work internationally. Along the way, Diego reflects on the enduring relevance of osteopathic philosophy and what it means to practise from the standpoint of the whole patient.

A conversation about history, teaching, philosophy and the future of classical osteopathy.

#ClassicalOsteopathy #Osteopathy #BodyAdjustment #JohnMartinLittlejohn #ICO #ManualMedicine #Healthcare #Spain #Podcast

In this interview Pindy asks Chris about his experinces of treating John Wernham and also discusses other memorable cases.

In this episode, Classical Osteopathy – What’s the Difference, we explore how classical osteopathy views the body not as a collection of parts, but as a continuously organising, adaptive system.

Rather than focusing on isolated symptoms or structural faults, this approach considers how the body maintains balance under constant forces such as gravity, movement, and internal pressure. It reframes familiar concepts like “lesions” as meaningful adaptations—local expressions of how the whole system has reorganised to sustain function.

The discussion moves through key ideas including whole-body coordination, the role of rhythm, the interaction between structural tension and internal pressure, and how patterns of strain develop over time. It also examines how treatment shifts from correction to supporting the body’s own capacity to redistribute load and restore efficiency.

This episode offers a clear introduction to the principles that distinguish classical osteopathy from more reductionist approaches, highlighting a model based on organisation, adaptation, and whole-body integration rather than isolated dysfunction.

In this episode, we pick up the story with the so-called “No Physiology” incident — a myth that has long clouded the relationship between Still and Littlejohn.
We follow Littlejohn’s departure from the American School of Osteopathy, setting up the school in Chicago, his return to England, the founding of the British School of Osteopathy, and the struggles he faced until his death.
Finally, we explore how changes to the curriculum after his passing led to the formation of the Institute of Classical Osteopathy — to preserve what was in danger of being lost.

“A Frontier Mind and A Scholar’s Cause: Still and Littlejohn”

Why did A.T. Still reject the medicine of his time and create a radical new approach to health?

And who was John Martin Littlejohn — the brilliant Scottish scholar whose convictions would carry osteopathy into the academic world?

In this episode of ICO Why We Exist, Robert Cartwright traces Still’s frontier upbringing, profound personal losses, and deep trust in nature that led to the discovery of osteopathy, before introducing Littlejohn: a man of rigorous principle and intellect whose early life set the stage for osteopathy’s evolution.

This is a podcast with Dr Maria Coffman about her book titled "Booby Traps" with Pindy Cummins and Marika Javbrett from the Institute of Classical Osteopathy.

We're very pleased that Maria is a guest for an ICO webinar where she goes through more of the physiology in her book on Weds February 12th at 7.30pm UK time, here is the booking link for ICO members; https://www.tickettailor.com/events/instituteofclassicalosteopathy/1522336

and here is the link for non members;

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/instituteofclassicalosteopathy/1510044

This fascinating and important book examines what happens to your insides with a bra strapped to your outside? Booby Traps, A Book of Bras, Breasts, and Bands weaves a never-before-seen look at underthings. Follow an osteopathic physician as she guides an adventure from the history of modern bra-wearing to how to choose the best bra for the job. Surprise! Nature is often best. Browse tips for choosing the best bra for the occasion (you wouldn't wear your prom shoes to run a marathon) and healthy ideas for alternative, bra-free first layers. Discover how to reduce restrictive clothing and still feel polished in public.

Dr. Coffman shares her decades of experience observing everyday women and everyday bras. Through a skilled and intuitive lens, she describes the effects of restrictive bands on a woman's bones, heart, lungs, breathing, mental state, and even pressure on the pelvic floor.

Along the way, explore interactive instructions to help you determine what fits and why using healthy parameters of breathing, heart function, physical mobility, and energy flow. Finish with self-care exercises to improve your whole health including your breasts. Booby Traps, A Book of Bras, Breasts, and Bands illuminates the undercover world of clothing to help you choose your best health.

For more information about the Institute of Classical Osteopathy please visit our website at www.classical-osteopathy.org

Hi, this episode describes why passive treatment or input is still relevant for people who are described as suffering from chronic pain with central sensitisation. It is based on a research article I wrote and was published in the Institute of Classical Osteopathy 2018 Yearbook, in which you can find other excellent articles.

Hi, this isn't a new podcast, I recorded this with Chris Campbell probably about a year ago and it is on the ICO YouTube channel. However, there was some recent conversation about current osteopathic standards of education verses the earlier education, and this webinar is a window into the standards of the day, see what you think. It also discusses the early arguments about general treatment verses specific treatment, when general treatment wasn't specific and when it was. This then leads into JM Littlejohn's approach to treating someone with what was called "neurasthenia" which is akin to ME or CFS.