Osteopathy
What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a system of diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of medical conditions. It works with the structure and function of the body and is based on the principle that a person’s wellbeing depends on their muscles, bones, ligaments and connective tissues functioning smoothly together.
Osteopaths use touch, massage, stretching and physical manipulation to increase joint mobility, relieve muscle tension and pain, enhance the blood and nerve supply to tissues, and encourage the body’s own self-regulating and self-healing mechanisms to achieve optimal health and function.
Osteopaths also provide advice on posture, rehabilitative exercise and lifestyle changes to aid recovery and prevent symptoms from recurring.
The body works best when all its parts are aligned and functioning well.
The role of the osteopath is that of a human mechanic – for your body to work well, its structure must also work well.
Osteopaths work to restore your body to a state of balance.
The body is examined for areas of stress, strain, blockage or imbalance and manual techniques are applied to make adjustments to these areas, helping the machine (body) to run smoothly again.
What can Osteopathy help with?
- Acute and chronic backache
- Mechanical neck pain
- General aches and pains
- Joint pain and arthritic pain
- Frozen shoulder
- Tennis elbow
- Headaches (cervicogenic)
- Minor sports injuries
- Muscle tension and spasms
- Postural problems
- Rheumatic pain
- Sciatica
- Digestion problems
What does a treatment involve?
In the initial consultation, an osteopath will take a detailed case history of your current symptoms and your medical history.
Postural and mobility assessments will then be performed and any necessary orthopedic and neurological tests in order to establish a diagnosis and formulate a treatment and management plan specific to your problem.
Subsequent visits will assess for progress and either follow or adjust the treatment plan.
What to wear to an appointment?
During assessment and treatment you can either change down to underwear or alternatively bring or wear stretchy shorts or leggings and a sleeveless top.
What will treatment feel like?
Treatment will generally involve massage, stretching and release techniques as well as mobilisation and, if appropriate, manipulation of the joints. I also use dry needling (the use of fine needles for muscle release and pain reduction) and the gentle releasing techniques of cranial osteopathy. The use of kinesiotape may be offered for additional support. Treatment also includes advice on rehabilitative exercise, lifestyle and ergonomics.
It is possible to feel sore and achy for 1-2 days after treatment, after which time the body begins to find balance. The overall health risks associated with having osteopathic treatment are extremely low. If you have any concerns about the safety of your treatment I will be happy to discuss these with you.
Osteopathic regulation, research and evidence
Osteopathy is a fully regulated profession. Further details about Osteopathy and how osteopaths work are available on the websites of the General Osteopathic Council and the Institute of Osteopathy.
The National Council for Osteopathic Research (NCOR) was established in 2003 in order to explore and assure the place that osteopathy has to play in Healthcare. The council was established by the General Osteopathic Council, the Institute of Osteopathy, and all the osteopathic educational institutions within the United Kingdom. Up-to-date research on how osteopathy can help certain conditions can be found here.