How can Osteopathy help you?

Osteopathy is a natural form of healthcare that treats the body as a whole. An Osteopath will locate imbalances via a thorough physical assessment. The Osteopath will work with you to re balance and correct, alleviating physical stress and strain on your body.  In turn you will have better movement through pain free muscle and joint function as well as ease of flow for the circulatory, lymphatic and nervous system.

Osteopaths respect the body's natural ability as a self-regulating mechanism and only intervene when pain or discomfort is present. The benefits of osteopathy are the general improvement in mobility and structural stability of the body. In turn, other systems of the body such as the circulatory, nervous and lymphatic systems function more effectively and for a number of conditions, minimal treatment is required.

'Osteopathy is a holistic approach to health care that strives to balance all the systems of the body, and provide overall good health and well being'

Osteopathy is effective in treating:

• Head pain
• TMJ/ Jaw Disorders and Pain
• Ear, Nose and Throat Problems
• Chronic ear infections
• Sinusitis
• Tinnitus
• Migraines
• Neck Pain
• Shoulder and arm pain
• Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
• Back Pain
• Pelvic Pain

What to expect on your first visit?

The first visit to an osteopath will run along the same lines as an initial visit to a GP. A complete medical history is taken and questions asked about lifestyle, diet and emotional status. The osteopath will want to hear about all symptoms, as well as details of any past accidents or traumas, even if they may seem unrelated to the patient's current problem.

The patient may be asked to remove some outer clothing and to perform some simple movements. This is so the osteopath can observe how the patient is using their body, identify any obvious mobility impairment and evaluate posture. Neurological and orthopedic tests help the osteopath to eliminate possible underlying pathologies and differentiate the basis of the patient's complaint.

Osteopaths are highly trained to manually locate points of restriction or excessive strain in various parts of the body. Using a finely tuned sense of touch or palpation, the osteopath will assess the spine, joints, muscles and tendons.

Treatment could include such techniques as soft tissue stretching, to increase blood flow and improve flexibility of joints and muscles; articulation to mobilize joints by being passively taken through their range of motion; and muscle energy, to release tightness on the muscles by alternatively being stretched and made to work against resistance.