Many people have varying degrees of pain from that niggling ache in their shoulders to a full-on injury. With so many different types of treatment available on every street, it can be hard to determine which is the best for you!
Osteopathy is a manual (hands-on) therapy which looks at the entire body to find the root cause of your pain, instead of just rubbing the sore spot! Osteopathy is based on the principle that the body can heal itself, and treatment is focussed on removing restrictions to strengthen this ability to heal.
Treatment involves focussed deep-tissue massage, joint mobilisations and manipulations (the clicking one!), which all aim to lengthen the muscles, tendons and ligaments whilst getting joints to function better. Acupuncture is also used in our clinic alongside the manual techniques. As a holistic approach to health, your Osteopath will look at your entire body and lifestyle, often enquiring about your hobbies, sports, work schedule and diet, as it's important to understand how you're using your body on a daily basis.
Osteopaths undergo a 4-5 year masters degree and are regulated by the General Osteopathic Council. Osteopaths are also required to undergo continued-professional development courses every year, to keep up to date with the latest research and techniques. If necessary, Osteopaths liaise with GPs and musculoskeletal specialists, and also physiotherapists/pilates instructors/personal trainers for specialised rehabilitation.
Most people think Osteopaths treat JUST BACKS....! However, we treat pain anywhere in the body, even headaches and digestive issues.
How is Osteopathy different from Physiotherapy or Chiropractic....?
Physiotherapy is rooted in that part of the medical profession concerned with restoration of movement and recovery from trauma following surgery or a major injury. Their treatment tends to focus on therapeutic exercise and lifestyle advice, with less hands on therapy.
Chiropractic is mainly concerned with the spine and believes that balancing the spinal joints will restore balance to the entire body. Chiropractors tend to treat primarily with spinal manipulations (the clicking ones!), with less direct work on the muscles.
Next time you're feeling some niggles or had an injury, give us a call to see if osteopathy can help you!
