What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a holistic healthcare profession specializing in drug-free, non-invasive, manual therapy that aims to improve health across all body systems.
Osteopaths are often described as treating the individual rather than the condition. When treating a patient, they consider the symptom or injury alongside other biological, physiological, and social factors which may be contributing to it. Osteopaths use a combination of targeted soft tissue release techniques, gentle body movement, stretching, and manipulation of a person’s joints; to improve function, relieve pain and aid recovery. Helping patients to discover ways to enhance and maintain their own health and well-being through education and advice on lifestyle, diet and exercise.
An Osteopath will take the time to understand their patient, and their unique combination of symptoms, medical history, and lifestyle. This helps for an accurate diagnosis of the causes of the pain or lack of function, rather than just addressing the site of pain or the symptom. From this, they can formulate a treatment plan that will achieve the best outcome for you.
Osteopathic treatment aims to resolve the underlying cause of the problem, in addition to relieving pain and promoting function and movement – supporting the patient’s innate ability to self-regulate and self-heal.
Although Osteopaths are well known for treating back and neck pain, the practice of Osteopathy can help relieve the symptoms of a wide range of muscle, nerve, and joint conditions.