WHAT IS OSTEOPATHY?
Osteopaths believe everyone can benefit from a tailored, whole-person approach to health. People of all ages see osteopaths, from babies to the elderly.
Osteopaths are highly trained Allied Health Professionals who are well known for their expertise in the evaluation, diagnosis and management of the entire musculoskeletal system and its relationship with other systems in the body.
You can expect your osteopath to take the time to understand your individual history, circumstances and unique physiology and provide a package of care that is tailored to your needs. This can include manual therapy, rehabilitation exercises, screening and general health advice.
They also work closely with other healthcare professionals such as consultants, GPs, nurses, midwives, and other Allied Health Professionals.
WHAT DOES TREATMENT INVOLVE?
Osteopathic treatment often involves manual therapy – a range of gentle hands-on techniques that focus on releasing tension, stretching muscles and improving mobility – together with exercises and helpful advice designed to help you relieve or manage your pain, keep active and maintain the best of health.
Before an osteopath starts any treatment, they will explain what is involved so you can agree and consent to your course of treatment.
Osteopaths are regulated by law and recognised as an allied health profession by NHS England. This gives them a similar status to dentists or physiotherapists and guarantees an equivalent high level of care.
Osteopaths believe everyone can benefit from a tailored, whole-person approach to health. People of all ages see osteopaths, from babies to the elderly.
Osteopaths are highly trained Allied Health Professionals who are well-known for their expertise in the evaluation, diagnosis and management of the entire musculoskeletal system and its relationship with other systems in the body.
You can expect your osteopath to take the time to understand your individual history,
circumstances and unique physiology and provide a package of care that is tailored to your needs. This can include manual therapy, rehabilitation exercises, screening, and general health advice.
They also work closely with other healthcare professionals such as consultants, GPs, nurses, midwives, and other Allied Health Professionals.
To maintain their registration with GOsC, which is renewed annually, osteopaths must meet mandatory continuous professional development (CPD): keeping skills and knowledge up-to-date and maintaining high standards of professional development.
By law, an osteopath must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) to practise in the UK.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?
Osteopaths will take the time to understand your symptoms, medical history and lifestyle which in turn will help them make an accurate diagnosis of the cause of your issue and formulate a treatment plan with you that will achieve the best outcome.
Your osteopath will also need to undertake a physical examination which they will explain to you beforehand. This will often comprise of you undertaking some movements and for the osteopath to examine areas to feel for any tightness in the muscles and stiffness in the joints to identify problems.
Sometimes the cause of the problem may be in a different area to the pain, for example, pain in your lower arm may be linked to the nerves in your neck, so they may need to examine your whole body.
You may find that your osteopath may undertake other examinations, such as blood pressure or nerve checks, or even refer you for other tests such as x-rays, MRIs or blood tests. Occasionally they may diagnose an issue that they are unable to treat and may refer you to your GP or another appropriate health professional.
As with any health consultation, they will record this confidential information to form part of your health record and store it in accordance with legal requirements for medical data.
WHAT TRAINING DO OSTEOPATHS HAVE?
Osteopathic treatment often involves manual therapy – a range of gentle hands-on techniques that focus on releasing tension, stretching muscles and improving mobility – together with exercises and helpful advice designed to help you relieve or manage your pain, keep active and maintain the best of health.
Before an osteopath starts any treatment, they will explain what is involved so you can agree and consent to your course of treatment.
Osteopaths are regulated by law and recognised as an allied health profession by NHS England. This gives them a similar status to dentists or physiotherapists and guarantees an equivalent high level of care.
Before an osteopath can obtain registration, they must attain specialist degree-level training, either a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) or integrated Masters (MOst.), plus complete over 1000 hours of clinical placements (direct patient contact time).
To maintain their registration with GOsC, which is renewed annually, osteopaths must meet mandatory continuous professional development (CPD): keeping skills and knowledge up-to-date and maintaining high standards of professional development.
By law, an osteopath must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) to practise in the UK.
WHAT TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE?
SPINAL MANIPULATION
What is it?
The aim of spinal manipulation is to restore normal movement within a restrictive joint. People sometimes say they have had their back ‘clicked’. The click that can be heard (not every time) is called Cavitation. This refers to the movement of gaseous bubbles within a joint in response to movement of surfaces. Rest assured nothing is breaking!
When is it used?
When, after examination, it is decided that a certain vertebrae in the spine needs to move a little better. Spinal manipulation can help improve the quality and quantity in range of motion and reduce any muscle spasm and pain.
Is it safe?
Osteopaths are highly trained Allied Health Professionals and are able to decide if Spinal Manipulation is suitable for you. Occasionally a treatment reaction can occur. This can present itself as increased tenderness, redness of the skin, or nausea and light-headedness. If this happens it is relatively short lived but we are always on hand to give advice.