What Is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy focuses on the whole body to promote healing, improve the body’s mobility, circulation and well being.
Using a combination of traditional and modern healthcare philosophies, osteopaths generally use non-invasive forms of therapy combined with education and advice to support the body’s natural healing processes.
With 5 years of university training, government registered healthcare professionals, osteopaths take the time to understand your history, your lifestyle and your body. They provide hands-on treatment, advice and management plans so they can provide you with a personalised plan to help reduce pain for the long term and to get you as healthy you can to enjoy life.
Principles of Osteopathy:
The Body is a Unit
The body is made up of many different systems that all work together in order to achieve optimal function. Osteopaths believe that a problem in one area of the body affects other musculoskeletal regions and/or other body systems.
Structure and Function are Inter-related
Osteopaths strongly believe in the relationship between body structure and its ability to function. If a body’s structure is sound and balanced, then it can function at an optimal level.
The Somatic Component of Disease
Osteopaths believe that the musculoskeletal system is an integral part of total body health. For the body to recover completely from injury or disease, problems within the musculoskeletal system must be addressed.
Treatment is based on the first three principles.
The body has within itself methods for protection, repair and regulation which are necessary for health maintenance and recovery from disease. The role of the Osteopath is to enhance this inherent capacity for health.
This philosophy and approach is what sets Osteopathy apart.
Why do we think osteopathy is different?
Osteopaths will look at the whole you...
To diagnose the root cause of your pain by considering your body, the way it moves, the pain or discomfort you feel, any injuries or soreness you may have, and your health and lifestyle to determine its impact on you and your pain. Osteopaths like to take time to listen to you and understand your concerns.
Osteopathic treatment is very individualised and may be varied...
Often, osteopaths will treat you with a range of techniques, including manual therapy, massage, stretching, mobilisation, manipulation, dry needling and exercise prescription. Osteopathy is a very hands-on profession.
By focusing on the whole person, an osteopath will treat many parts of your body, not just the part that feels sore...
For example, if you go to an osteopath with a sore back, your osteo will often treat the neck, shoulders, back and legs because everything is connected and all of these areas can influence and impact your back pain.
Osteopaths will consider all factors contributing to your pain...
Osteopaths will also talk to you about the activities that may increase your pain and how you feel, and will consider all these factors to develop a treatment plan for you and to help you to understand your role in getting better.
What Is An Osteopath?
In Australia, Osteopaths are government registered practitioners, who have studied a five year full-time university course, which entails anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, pathology and general medical diagnosis in addition to the study of Osteopathic techniques. Osteopaths are trained to be able to recognise conditions which require medical referral and are also trained to carry out standard medical examinations of the cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems