Osteopathy is an established recognised system of diagnosis and treatment, which lays its main emphasis on the structural and functional integrity of the body. It is distinctive by the fact that it recognises that much of the pain and disability which we suffer stems from abnormalities in the function of the body structure as well as damage caused to it by disease.
[Description by General Osteopathic Council, 28th October 1998]
Whilst back pain is the most common problem seen, osteopathy can help with a wide varied of problems including changes to posture in pregnancy, repetitive strain injury, postural problems caused by driving or work strain, the pain of arthritis and sports injuries among many others. Leaflets explaining many of the common treatments used are available from the Osteopathic Information Service. Osteopathic Information Service factsheet request.
Osteopathy is helpful in overcoming stiffness and locomotor disabilities, problems with walking, climbing stairs, dressing and getting up from beds and chairs. Most of all it is effective in alleviating acute and chronic pain. Osteopathic treatment can be used to help a wide variety of injuries and conditions:
We will be happy to advise as to whether we could help with your own particular problem.
The growth and interest in sport and fitness training has led to an increase in sports-related injuries which osteopaths are uniquely equipped to handle. Many of today's world top athletes acknowledge the debt they owe to osteopathic treatments.
Muscle pain - lumbago, "fibrositis" and rheumatic pain in the arms and legs is one of the most common medical complaints. This condition can be alleviated, but rarely cured, by drugs. To obtain more permanent relief, it is necessary to eliminate the underlying causes, something an osteopath is specifically trained to do.
The foot is an incredibly efficient piece of human engineering. It is also a frequent source of pain which can be severe enough to make walking difficult and life miserable - a disability which can often be alleviated by skilled osteopathic treatment.
It is generally recognised that a large proportion of headaches - 805 or more - originate from stiffness and tension in the neck. This gives rise to pain, often radiating over the skull from the base of the neck to the eyes. Head and analgesic tablets often relieve the pain, but long-term relief often requires osteopathic diagnosis and treatment of the underlying problem.
Surveys reveal that four out of five Britons will suffer backache at some time in their lives. The vast majority of back pain results from mechanical disturbances of the spine - postural strains, joint derangements, spinal disc injuries - and can be relieved or completely cured by carefully designed osteopathic treatment.
During and after pregnancy, when changes in posture are giving rise to pain and discomfort, many women find great relief from osteopathic treatment. There is the added advantage of avoiding the use of drugs.
Treatment can consist of conventional osteopathic techniques of manipulation, articulation and soft tissue massage, occasionally supplemented with ultrasound therapy or cranial sacral therapy.
Ultrasound therapy is a gentle from of treatment involving minimal manipulation and using high frequency sound waves to promote healing and reduce inflammation. This form of therapy has been successfully used for several years for the treatment of sports and similar injuries.
Cranio-sacral therapy is a very gentle non-invasive form of treatment that can penetrate the deepest level of the body's system and is used to alleviate a wide variety of functional disorders such as digestive, menstrual and neurological problems. In addition, it is very valuable in treating subtle effects of head injuries such as whiplash. This approach has a very special role in the treatment of birth trauma in babies.
From time to time it is advisable to undertake "maintenance" visits. This enables the osteopath to ensure the previous problem is contained. Patients will be given advice concerning their complaints in the hope that recurrence of the condition can be significantly reduced or eliminated.
This is similar to that with any Registered Medical Practitioner. The osteopath will want to know how the symptoms began and factors that affect them. After a complete medical history is taken, a thorough examination in undertaken which may include orthopaedic, neurological or circulatory examination. X rays, blood tests or urinalysis may be requested. Following from this, a thorough investigation of the patient's posture and structural state will lead to diagnosis. Treatment patterns will be explained to you and where appropriate, some time scale projected for your recovery. If you are unsuitable for osteopathic care, you will be appropriately referred.
Philip Corbin: £30 per treatment and £45 for a new patient on the intial consultation.
This will vary from patient to patient but you will be given an outline treatment plan on your first visit.
When you visit an osteopath for the first time a full case history will be taken and you will be given an examination. You will normally be asked to remove some of your clothing and to perform a simple series of movements. The osteopath will then use a highly developed sense of touch, called palpation, to identify any points of weakness or excessive strain throughout the body.
The osteopath may need additional investigations such as x-ray or blood tests. This will allow a full diagnosis and suitable treatment plan to be developed for you.
A formal referral from your GP is not necessary, the majority of osteopathic patients self-refer. If you'd like to get treatment paid for by a private health scheme contact your Doctor first.
Osteopaths work with their hands using a wide variety of treatment techniques. These may include soft tissue techniques, rhythmic passive joint mobilisation or the high velocity thrust techniques designed to improve mobility and the range of movement of a joint. Gentle release techniques are widely used, particularly when treating children or elderly patients. This allows the body to return to efficient normal function.
A Registered Osteopath has demonstrated to the General Osteopathic Council via a detailed application process that they are a safe and competent practitioner, that they have adequate malpractice insurance and have agreed to abide by a Code of Practice.
These are osteopathic qualifications. The DO stands for diploma in osteopathy the BSc is a degree in osteopathy. The length of training is the same for both, at least four years full-time training. The diploma course has been around the longest but recently some courses have been validated by universities allowing them to offer their students degree passes.
Most people consult an osteopath privately. Telephone local practices to find out about fees in your area. An increasing number of osteopaths work with GP practices so that it may be possible for your doctor to refer you to an osteopath on the NHS.
Many private health insurance schemes give benefit for osteopathic treatment. Some companies will reimburse the total fee or pay a percentage of the costs. Contact the helpline of your insurance company who will explain the actual benefits and methods of claim for your individual policy.
The 1993 report from the British Medical Association "Complementary Medicine ? New Approaches to Good Practice" recognised osteopathy as a discrete clinical discipline'. Osteopathy is the first complementary health care profession to be accorded statutory regulation (Osteopaths Act 1993).
This legislation came into force on 9th May 2000 requiring all osteopaths to be registered with the GOsC. You can check that I am registered by looking me up on their website: General Osteopathic Council.
Andrew Taylor Still, born in 1828 in Virginia, USA, trained as a doctor according to the system of medical education available at the time. As time went on he followed a different path from many of his peers, eschewing alcohol and the habit of contemporary physicians of administering crude drugs at their disposal in heroic quantities. This drove him to seek new methods of treating sickness. The outcome of his research was the application of physical treatment as a specialised form of treatment for which he coined the name 'Osteopathy'.
In 1892 A T Still organised a school in Kirksville, Missouri, for the teaching of osteopathy and it was from these small beginnings that osteopathy was brought to the UK around the turn of the century. The first school of osteopathy in the UK was set in London in 1917 and over time other schools and colleges followed.
Today there are around 3,000 osteopaths in the UK performing over six million patient consultations a year.
Osteopathy is patient centred, which means treatment is geared to you as an individual. We should be able to give you an indication after your first visit. For some acute pain one or two treatments may be all that is necessary. Chronic conditions may need ongoing maintenance. An average is 6 - 8 sessions.