WHAT IS AN OSTEOPATH
Developed by medical doctors in the 1870’s in the USA, Osteopathic medicine is one of the original hands-on, western modalities for musculoskeletal, and neuromuscular health. Osteopaths are becoming widely known for their full body approach to examining, diagnosing and treating pain.
When we move, our whole body needs to work together as one, it is not a collection of individual parts working independently. Osteopaths look at the body as one unit, not in isolated areas. They diagnose the ‘pain causing tissue’, but aim to find the true, or primary cause, for example, other restricted spinal joints, tight adjacent muscles and areas of weakness or instability.
Osteopaths are trained to diagnose and treat using a wide variety of hands-on techniques to influence the spinal vertebrae, joints, muscles, nervous system, circulatory system and the health of your internal organs.
Osteopaths are highly educated at examining, diagnosing and providing hands on treatment for musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions (issues involving nerves and muscles – eg: sciatica). Our Osteopaths have completed a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Masters of Osteopathy.
TECHNIQUES USED BY OSTEOPATHS
Osteopaths use techniques including:
- Deep and soft tissue massage
- muscle energy technique (relaxing the nerves to the muscles)
- joint & visceral mobilisation (improves mobility)
- myofascial release
- exercise prescription
- taping
- dry needling
- spinal manipulation/adjustment (technique done to a restricted point of the spine where the practitioner puts a fast minimal force to the joint to realign it, a pop or click can often be heard or felt, this repositioning allows the joint to improve its movement therefore also helping the local muscles that surround the joint move which further improves mobility of the spinal area).
Please note that spinal manipulations are only ever done if absolutely necessary and with the patient’s full consent. There are many other forms of treatment that can improve joint mobility just as well.
Find out more about what is involved in an appointment by visiting our “All About Osteopathy Appointments” page.
