How does Osteopathy relieve pain?

Patients often report immediate and significant pain relief following spinal joint manipulation. As well as relieving mechanical irritation at the joint these techniques have been shown to cause stimulation of sensory nerve endings (mechanoreceptors) in the spinal facet joint capsule , ligaments and surrounding musculature sending a barrage of sensory input centrally to the spinal cord resulting in reflex inhibition of pain transmission by closing the "pain gate mechanism".