YOU get a headache, you pop a pill. Simple, isn't it? But what happens when you get a headache again the next day, and the day after that? Alan Apling believes he has the answer at his fingertips - or rather, in his fingertips. He is an osteopath working from the York Clinic in Tadcaster Road and the Woodhouse Clinic in Leeds.

"Pills only mask the problem," he explained.

"They don't do anything about the root cause. Some osteopaths don't like people taking drugs, but I'm more relaxed about it. All I say is that while pills can offer some short-term relief, they are not a cure by any means.

"Osteopaths search for the underlying cause and try to provide long-lasting relief. Our aim is to enable the body to restore itself to a natural balance."

For many people the term "osteopathic treatment" conjures up images of high-speed manipulation ending in a sharp crack of the neck or a wrenching twist of the spine. But this is not necessarily so.

"We use a variety of different techniques," says Mr Apling, who qualified in osteopathic medicine in 1991 after five years at London School of Osteopathy. "None of them involve high-velocity thrusts and you shouldn't experience any cracking or crunching of joints.

"When someone comes to me with headaches I examine their neck and jaw area to try and pinpoint where the dysfunction lies. Then I begin to relieve the muscle tension and restore mobility with some stretching and gentle manipulation.

"It is not about pulling and tugging them back into shape; it's about getting freedom of movement back into the neck and shoulders and, in the process, relieving related headaches."

Cranial osteopathy is particularly gentle and is used to correct disturbances in tissue mobility in the skull. It can be useful in treating pain and discomfort throughout the body, most notably in cases of chronic headaches. But when does the occasional headache turn into a chronic condition?

"There are a number of different causes of headaches. Some are quite serious and some less so," says Mr Apling. "Osteopaths are trained to differentiate between the two.

"Many are mechanical in origin as a result of tension in the jaw and upper neck. This can lead to what are known as tension headaches, which, in turn, can develop into a chronic condition.

"Everyone suffers from stress, but if you are getting more than three headaches a week, especially after work, then you have a chronic problem."

Muscle spasms in the upper neck are often the main cause of so-called tension headaches, with general stress, anxiety and poor posture exacerbating the problem further. Osteopathic treatment enables the muscles to relax, calms the nervous system and, as a result, reduces the incidence of headaches.

"Many headaches are actually related to posture," says Mr Apling. "Partly because so many of us spend our lives sitting in front of computers.

"It was different when people used typewriters - that is quite active. When you use a computer all the movement is in the wrist. Your head and shoulders tend to remain completely immobile."

Treatment can take a single session or a whole series, depending on the severity of the patient's condition. According to Mr Apling, most people notice a positive difference within four or five sessions.

"During the first session I take a detailed history and make a diagnosis," he explains.

"We may have time to start the treatment then. If not, we start afresh in the second session.

"I always take things nice and slow because some people can have a bit of a reaction to osteopathic treatment, a slight soreness or aggravation. My aim is to guard against adverse reactions by working gently and slowly."

Osteopathy appears to be becoming less of an alternative therapy and more of a mainstream choice, but is it really a viable option when it comes to curing the common headache?

"If all the recent surveys are to be believed, people are generally very satisfied with the treatment they receive," says Mr Apling. "Osteopathy has built up a healthy following among the public, who know it is a treatment they can trust, and it is becoming increasingly recognised by the medical fraternity. If you want to pop a pill and get rid of your headache now, fair enough.

"But if you want to get rid of your headache today and stop it returning tomorrow and the day after, osteopathy could be the answer."

For more information, ring Alan Apling,at the York Clinic on 01904 709688

More about osteopathy:

A Which? survey found that almost 90 per cent of patients claimed to have received considerable benefit from osteopathic treatment

Practitioners believe osteopathic medicine is a science, an art and a philosophy, which helps to restore harmony to the body by encouraging its inherent self-defence mechanisms

Osteopathy works on three principles: the human body tends to be self-regulatory and self-healing; the body is an entity in which structure and function are interdependent; and an imbalance in one part of the body will affect the function of the rest

Osteopaths can treat all manner of problems, including postural strain in children, stresses resulting from pregnancy or occupation, sports injuries, tension headaches, asthma and bronchitis

Since the passing of the Osteopaths Bill in 1993, it is illegal for anyone without recognised training to call themselves an osteopath or offer treatment. To be on the safe side always ensure your practitioner is registered with the General Osteopathic Council

Updated: 12:11 Monday, November 03, 2003