Osteopathy

What is osteopathy

Osteopaths are primary healthcare practitioners who utilise a holistic approach to consider each patient as an individual, complementing medical healthcare approaches. 

Osteopathy recognises that much of the pain and disability we experience stems from the link between the structure of the human body and the way it functions. 

Osteopaths diagnose and treat musculoskeletal problems which occur due to injury, stress or disease, to enable the body to work as efficiently as possible, thus allowing the body to restore itself to normal function. 

By treating joints, muscles, ligaments, bones and fascia, osteopaths aim to ease pain, reduce swelling and improve mobility through gentle, manual techniques. They use a highly developed sense of touch to apply techniques which vary from soft tissue massage, joint mobilisation and joint manipulation to very gentle techniques such as cranial osteopathy and functional release. This variety of techniques allows us to work with all age groups and addressing many problems. 

In addition, osteopaths will give advice regarding self-help and lifestyle changes which may include recommending exercises. Whilst osteopathy does not involve the use of drugs or surgery, osteopaths are able to refer patients to other medical practitioners if they feel that further investigation is required, or that osteopathy is not an appropriate treatment modality for the patient.