There are four main Osteopathic principles:

• The body is a unit – mind, body, and spirit.
• The body has an innate self-healing capacity
• Structure and function are inter-related
• Treatment is based on the body’s self-healing mechanism and structure and function.

There are many techniques an osteopath may use during treatment, you will find that each therapist treats differently according to their own personal style.

Osteopathic treatment may include:

• Soft tissue massage
• Fascial release
• Muscle Energy Technique (MET)
• Stretching
• Joint articulation and mobilisation
• Joint manipulation where you will hear a release in the joint
• Intra-oral jaw release
• Gentle balancing

In addition to these other techniques such as cupping, pilates rehabilitation, and prescriptive exercises are integrated into treatment.

Osteopathy is often misinterpreted as the treatment for bones (osteo) its name is misleading as it can be applied to a range of conditions and injury. Here is a list of some reasons you may want to see an osteopath:

• Acute and chronic pain
• Grinding of the teeth- bruxism
• Back pain (upper and lower)
• Pregnancy-related discomfort– heartburn, sacroiliac instability, and pain or general wellness
• Disc injury- bulged or herniated
• Joint pain- shoulder, hip, knee, ankle
• Sprained joints
• Muscle Tears
• Tendonitis
• Pre and post-operative treatment (as early as 2 days after)
• Headaches and migraine
• Neck pain
• Jaw pain
• Ear pain
• Rotator cuff injury or tear
• Frozen shoulder
• Shoulder impingement syndrome
• Tennis/golfer's elbow
• Achilles tendonitis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Fibromyalgia
• Poor sleep
• Period pain
• Muscle weakness
• Biomechanical imbalance
• Rehabilitation

Structural versus Cranial Osteopathy

There two different fields of Osteopathy. We all undergo the same training however, some osteopaths decide to do further training in the cranial field. This is a gentle and effective way of treating. Many people know it to be used for babies, as their skull bones haven't fused yet, they are easy to manipulate with gentle pressure. Cranial osteopathy tends to involve gently holding the head and pelvis to affect fluid mechanics.

Structural osteopathy is a more direct approach using soft tissue massage, cupping, joint manipulations (cracking), stretching, dry needling and exercise rehab. If you like the feeling of being worked on you will tend to prefer a structural approach.

You don't have to be in pain to see an Osteopath.

Many people will present to a therapist once they have a problem, often the problem is there well before you actually notice any signs of symptoms. An osteopath is able to pick up on possible strains and treat them before they become an issue. You may feel fine now, but patients often report how much better they feel after a treatment.
Every person is different, there is no set treatment protocol for a condition. Treatment is an art taking an integrative approach using a variety of techniques to help you reach your full health potential.

Journal Articles:

• Evidence-based Management of Acute Musculoskeletal Pain
• Approach to low back pain – osteopathy
• Manipulation and mobilisation for neck pain contrasted against an inactive control or another active treatment
• Osteopathic manipulative treatment for low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

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