After completing my MBBS, I joined the
Central Institute of Orthopaedics, Safdarjung Hospital,
New Delhi, as a house surgeon. This is a leading
orthopaedic centre in India. To me, orthopaedics seemed a
rewarding branch of medicine to specialise in. A person
gets involved in a severe accident, fractures a bone, and
comes to the orthopaedic department. The doctor examines
him and confirms that he has suffered a fracture. The
X-ray taken also confirms the diagnosis. Bones are
manipulated under anaesthesia, placed in position, and
the plaster is applied. Once again an X-ray is taken to
confirm that the bones are in place. After six weeks the
plaster is removed, and the broken bones are one again .
The patient expresses his gratitude. The Doctor is happy
because his hands have been able to help somebody. His
job satisfaction is complete.
This is the ‘emergency’ face of orthopaedics.
Let us now examine the less dramatic side. Here we deal
with patient suffering from backache, sciatica, lumbago,
cervical spondylosis and other pains of the spine and the
joints. The story is not the same. The patient come with
acute and chronic pains. All possible investigations are
carried out. In most cases a diagnosis is made, but the
treatment remains unsatisfactory. Inspite of the genuine
efforts of the doctor, the recovery often remains
incomplete. The patient keep coming week after week,
month after month, and feels frustrated at the
doctor’s inability to help despite all available
knowledge. What is missing? I started looking for new
methods to help. I read about the maniopulation of the
spine and different joints. But I wondered why we did not
practice this method.
This was the time when newspapers were filled with the
news of osteopath Stephen Ward, who was involved in the
sensational Christine Keeler case along with several
bigwigs in Britain including Profumo, a British cabinet
Minister. Profumo had to resign because of his
involvement in the case. The news ended in the tragic
suicide of Mr.Ward. This was the year 1965. As I read the
name of the osteopath again and again, I wanted to know
what osteopathy was. I learned that osteopaths relieve
their patients of aches and pain by manipulation.
I remember a story my grandmother used to tell us. Once
upon a time there lived a King. He had a severe backache.
He would turn, toss and roll in bed because of the
severity of the pain. He would not allow anybody to touch
him. This went on for a long time in spite of the best
ministrations of the royal physician. The physician was
worried. Several physicians from all parts of the country
were summoned and an award was declared for the one who
would cure him. All efforts were in vain. Ultimately a
physician arrived from far off. He ordered the royal
horse to be kept without food or water for four days. The
horse was then brought to the king, who after some
persuasion, was asked to mount it. The thirsty animal
noticed water in a ditch and galloped towards it. As he
bent his head to drink, the king gripped hard to save
himself from falling. In the process the king’s back
clicked –and he was cured.
I was keen to learn manipulation. To my surprise, it was
not a routine practice in our department. Manipulation
under general anaesthesia was a rare occurrence. I
decided to go abroad to study more about it. In London ,
I sought out orthopaedic surgeons, consultants in
physical medicine and osteopaths. I watched them
manipulate their patients and became convinced about the
efficacy of osteopathic manoeuvres. I joined in London
College of Osteopathy. The secretary of the college,
Mr.A.F.Lockwood, admitted that osteopathy ought to be
grateful to the ill-fated Dr Ward –he had made
osteopathy known all over the world.
Two interesting historical cases relating to manipulation
may be mentioned. Doctor Corvisort, the
physician-in-chief of Napoleon and his wife, used to
visit the royal couple twice a week. The Emperor enjoyed
good health, so the physician’s services were
required only rarely. But one day Napoleon began
suffering from violent lumbago. The doctor, who was
summoned, asked Napoleon to disrobe and lie across a
table. He then administered a sound and well-aimed slap
on his hips. The stunned Emperor turned in fury but
during this movement the painful contracture of his
lumbar muscles mercifully disappeared. The insolence of
the celebrated physician was pardoned. This was the first
example of successful manipulation recorded in history.
The difficulty of finding the exact point of application
of force in this manoeuvre makes us avoid it in practice.
We use other manoeuvres which are not so spectacular but
have an equal measure of success.
Hitler suffered from severe pain which could be relieved
only by osteopathic treatment. During the 2nd
World War, an osteopath was always at his side during
front-line operations. Why has manipulation been so
little appreciated? This book is a humble effort towards
acquainting people with the art and science of
manipulation. My hope is that eventually we will have an
osteopathic department in the medical colleges in our
country.
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