The Chapman Clinic: musculoskeletal treatment for patients with HIV

The Chapman Clinic is an osteopathic outpatient clinic at The British School of Osteopathy, London. The clinic provides osteopathic treatment for a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions affecting individuals with HIV-infection and AIDS. Patients can access the service directly by self-referral or by referral from other health care professionals.

Osteopathy aims to reduce musculoskeletal related pain and disability through a range of hands-on treatment techniques. The clinic’s experience of osteopathic treatment in HIV infection has suggested that this manual therapy can make a significant contribution to maintenance of function and independence, leading to improvements in quality of life. The Chapman Clinic was set up to provide specialist care and a greater focus to interventions for patients with HIV and AIDS, many of whom have complex rehabilitation needs complicated by the long-term drug therapy which is necessary to keep their infection under control. High levels of medication due to HIV-infection also mean that many patients are reluctant to take additional medication for pain control. In these situations non-pharmacological therapies such as osteopathy are ideally placed for the management of pain and dysfunction.

“We hope this clinic will provide a useful resource for both adults and children affected by HIV who require osteopathic care,” said Paul Blanchard, Director of the Chapman Clinic, Registered Osteopath and Senior Clinical Tutor at The British School of Osteopathy. The British School of Osteopathy has the largest outpatient clinic in Europe for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions and also carries out research into related pain and disability. It is hoped that the Chapman Clinic will also initiate research into the management of peripheral neuropathy, a common painful and debilitating condition in HIV-infected people.

The Chapman Clinic
The British School of Osteopathy
275 Borough High Street
London
SE1 1JE
Tel: 020 7407 0222