What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a form of manual therapy used to treat the whole body. It takes a holistic approach considering all aspects of the patient- mind, body, emotional and spiritual health. Osteopathy has its roots in medicine having been developed by a medical doctor Dr. Andrew Taylor Still in 1874. Over the years it has been considered as a complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) but in the past 20 years has been viewed as an effective conventional therapy with traditional and scientific philosophy.
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 this other techniques such as: cupping, pilates rehabilitation and prescriptive exercises are integrated into treatment.
Osteopathy is often misinterpreted as treatment for the bones (osteo) it's 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 faciitis
- Fibromyalgia
- Poor sleep
- Period pain
- Muscle weakness
- Biomechanical imbalance
- Rehabilitation
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.
BOOK ONLINE to see an Osteopath today. Or call MetaMed on (03) 443 2628
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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