Skip to content
  • About
    • Our story
    • Our science
    • Hormona App
  • Hormones
    • About hormones
    • Hair Loss
    • Irregular cycles
    • PCOS
    • Infertility
  • Hormona Library
  • For business
    • Employers
    • Partnerships
    • Hormona Ambassadors
Menu
  • About
    • Our story
    • Our science
    • Hormona App
  • Hormones
    • About hormones
    • Hair Loss
    • Irregular cycles
    • PCOS
    • Infertility
  • Hormona Library
  • For business
    • Employers
    • Partnerships
    • Hormona Ambassadors
  • En
  • Sv
Menu
  • En
  • Sv
Get the app
  • Self care

Bone setting: Would you be brave enough to try?

Written by: Claire Millins

I was!

I wrote in my article on the PSOAS muscles how post-pregnancy my lower back had turned into ‘duck butt central’. And as you know, I’m pretty much game to give any alternative therapy a try, so when I went on holiday to Finland and saw the hotel offered traditional bone setting, I immediately booked.

 

The history of bone setting

As a therapy, it has been around since ancient times, and traditional bone setters were the forebears of today’s osteopaths, physical masseuses and chiropractors, minus the training. Many bone setters were self-taught, with both skills and knowledge passed down through the generations.

Traditional bonesetters are still popular today, in many developing countries as they can sometimes be the only source of treatment for bone injuries, are often cheaper than a doctor, and more often than not offer quick results.

 

What is Finnish Bone Setting?

Folk medicine in Finland, which includes its famous sauna, cupping and bone setting, is still flourishing, mainly because it centres on a holistic approach, is not determined by time and relies on manual skills.

Bone setting is simply a form of joint manipulation, and Finnish bone setting, also known as ‘Kalevala’, is a whole-body massage treatment. It helps increase mobility, relaxes muscles and stimulates tissue function and your metabolic and nervous systems.

Like most bone setting treatments, Kalevala is gentle, for the most part, pain-free (see my experience) and respects your body’s natural limits, so you won’t find yourself moved into uncomfortable positions. (Unlike when you have a Hollywood wax, for example)

If you’ve been to an osteopath or chiropractor, you’ll find a bone setting session fairly similar. However, unlike the osteopath who targets a specific area of pain, a Kalevala session treats the whole body. During the session the body is balanced by manipulating the entire musculoskeletal system from the soles of your feet to the base of your skull, mobilising the tissues and making use of your natural flexibility and joint motion.

 

Does bone setting work?

Many people have enjoyed the benefits of bone setting, and have seen improvements with:

  • Children’s growing pains
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Back pain
  • Shoulder and neck tension
  • Tennis elbow
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Scoliosis, to name but a few

 

Scientific studies

The effectiveness of traditional bone setting in treating chronic pain was studied most notably in the 2007 and 2008 studies by N Zaproudina, O Hanninen, O Airaksinen, et al.

The 2007 study ‘Effectiveness of traditional bone setting in chronic neck pain: randomized clinical trial’ compared bone setting with conventional physiotherapy and massage in a random group of 105 participants, with data analysed before treatment began and then one, six and 12 months after treatment. Two-thirds of the participants found traditional bone setting beneficial, with the positive effects of the treatment lasting for at least a year.

A second study in 2008 ‘Effectiveness of traditional bone setting in treating chronic low back pain: a randomised pilot trial’, this time compared bone setting with physical and exercise therapy in a random group of 131 participants, with data analysed in the same time frames. In this study, most patients also found bone setting to be beneficial. However, the “long-term dynamics of pain and disability didn’t differ” between the two test groups, unlike the 2007 study that found bone setting improved the pain in neck patients.

 

My experience

Yes, I went on holiday to Finland to see Father Christmas and treated myself to a Finnish Bone Setting session, as you do!

As I mentioned earlier, post-pregnancy had left me with a ‘duck butt’, where the bottom of my spine tilted upwards at the back, so you could literally put a glass of wine on it. I have also suffered from lower back pain for years, to the extent I can’t lie on my back, prop myself up or lie on my stomach for any length of time, or indeed turn over in bed without wincing and waking myself up!

So obviously, I was game to try anything.

How can I best describe my experience with bone setting?

Well, it’s like a mash-up of osteopathy, reflexology and a really deep, and firm, massage treatment.

My bone setter couldn’t speak a word of English, which made for some very interesting hand signals when he needed me to unhook my bra!

They do indeed start at the bottom and work upwards, and the weird thing is you don’t actually feel anything miraculous going on. It just feels like a darn good massage. Nothing at all like the ones you get in the spas when the girls, bless them do everything in threes and ask if the pressure is too much. No, this was, to put it quite frankly, like a good pummelling, as if he was kneading bread. For this muscle-knotted girl, it was sheer heaven.

The feet and legs were first. Then it was the turn of the hands and arms, which was the only time I experienced any semblance of pain. I’m right-handed, and when my bone setter started on my thumb joint, I winced. Well, not so much winced as almost jumped out of the chair. Yeowch! He kept trying, but I only grimaced more. Then he realised what the problem was. He made a very good attempt at charades to explain the problem, which was due to me having my hand over a computer mouse every single day. Seeing the pain I was clearly in, he left the thumb joint and moved on to my back.

Was it painful?

There was no pain, just the sheer bliss and ecstasy of pent up muscle tension being released.

In a way, I found it very cathartic.

After 90 minutes, it was over. When I got back to my room, the first thing I noticed was my back, or more accurately my backside. It was straight and back in alignment, no duck butt in sight. And I kid you not, that night I slept like a log, on my back!

That was nearly six years ago now, and I can confirm my backside is still straight, but I’m back to wincing if I turn over. Maybe I need to go back to Finland and have another session!

Would you ever give bone setting a go? What do you think? Quackery or is there something to it?

Let us know in the comments.

Disclaimer: This website does not provide medical advice. The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website is for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

References

Last updated: October, 2023 Written By Solomon D. Erulkar, Thomas L. Lentz Fast-checked By The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/science/nervous-system

Written by: Claire Millins

Claire is a freelance writer and "blurbologist". She writes about health and wellness, fitness, travel and motorsport. Generally found where the fast cars are, Claire wears a lot of pink and also is a firm believer life should include more impromptu sing-alongs, dance routines and jazz hands 👐
  • August 7, 2020
  • Self care

More stories

woman holding her baby bump

Progesterone Dominance: What You Need to Know

woman leaning her head back

Thyroids and Irregular Periods: What’s The Connection?

woman holding her tummy

Period Bloating Remedies: How To Beat the Bloats

RELATED POSTS

woman leaning her head back

Thyroids and Irregular Periods: What’s The Connection?

According to the American Thyroid Association, “More than 12% of the U.S. population will develop a thyroid condition

Read More »
woman holding her baby bump

Progesterone Dominance: What You Need to Know

Estrogen, Estrogen, Estrogen. Everybody loves to talk about Estrogen. Well, today we’re not talking about Estrogen for once.

Read More »
woman holding her tummy

Period Bloating Remedies: How To Beat the Bloats

Bloat. The word sounds just like it feels, doesn’t it? You feel extra fluffy and full. Your clothes

Read More »
  • Our story
  • Our science
  • Hormona Library
  • Our story
  • Our science
  • Hormona Library
  • Partnerships
  • Contact
  • Career
  • Contact us
  • Partnerships
  • Contact
  • Career
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Sign up to our newsletter

Follow us
Instagram Facebook Linkedin Twitter

© Wlness Science Ltd 2023

Language
  • En
  • Sv
  • En
  • Sv
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. You can always opt-out if you wish. Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT