What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a regulated healthcare profession. All Osteopaths must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) who grant a license to practice. To qualify, Osteopaths must complete a degree course which includes 1000 clinical hours of practice. They must undertake continuous professional development after qualification to keep knowledge and skills up-to-date.
Osteopathy is a system of diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of conditions and complaints. It works with the structure and function of the body, and is based on the principle that the well-being of an individual depends on the skeleton, muscles, ligaments and connective tissues functioning smoothly together.
To an Osteopath, for your body to work well, its structure must also work well. Osteopaths use touch, physical manipulation, stretching and massage to increase the mobility of joints, to relieve muscle tension, to enhance the blood and nerve supply to tissues, and to help your body’s own healing mechanisms. They may also provide advice on posture and exercise to aid recovery, promote health and prevent symptoms recurring.
Osteopaths subscribe to two axioms based on the concept of the body as a unique interdependent system. The first, ‘the rule of the artery is supreme,’ means that a healthy blood supply is likely to support a healthy bodily environment. Thus, osteopaths take circulation carefully into account when assessing patients. The second axiom, ‘structure governs function,’ concerns the fact that problems in the structure of the body, for example, too much tension in certain muscles or the misalignment of a bone/joint, can inhibit the natural function of multiple bodily systems.
Osteopaths employ a number of techniques in order to influence the body’s innate healing system. These include; soft tissue, muscle work, joint articulation and mobilisation/manipulation. The specific treatment will depend upon the patient’s unique circumstances.
Osteopathic treatment is usually a very gentle process and osteopaths work very hard to make treatment as painless, and as pleasant as possible, but there is a chance you may experience some discomfort during and after treatment. Your osteopath will warn you if they think that the technique that they are about to use is likely to be uncomfortable and will stop if you tell them that you are feeling too much pain.