WHAT IS OSTEOPATHY?

Osteopathy is a holistic whole body approach to health care that aims to improve

the health of the patient across all of the body systems. Osteopathy is a form of

manual therapy that focuses on total body health. It treats the structural and

functional mechanics of the body, which include the joints, muscles, ligaments and

spine. Osteopathy seeks to find the root cause of pain. This gentle hands on

treatment focuses on removing restrictions and restoring movement and function

to the entire body in order to restore the body’s natural balance and healing ability.

Its aim is to positively affect the body’s nervous, circulatory, and lymphatic

systems.

Osteopathic manual therapists use a refined sense of touch to identify and treat

asymmetry and altered tissue states in the body. Assessment and treatment

happen simultaneously and are fine tuned to individual patients’ needs. There is

constant communication between the body’s systems to maintain its health. No

part of the body nor its systems work in isolation. Therefore if one system or area

of the body is in dysfunction then this will have a definite impact on other areas of

the body as well. We often see that a problem or previous injury in one part of the

body can manifest itself in another. For that reason, your osteopathic assessment

and treatment will involve treating the body as a whole and not just the specific

location of the pain.

WHo Can Benefit from OSteopathy?

Osteopathy is a gentle hands on therapy that is suitable for all ages from newborn

and up. The following are some of the conditions that can benefit from an

osteopathic treatment:

• Muscle and joint pain
• Neck and back pain
• Arthritis
• Sciatica
• TMJ -jaw pain and restrictions
• Repetitive strain and overuse injuries such as tendonitis, carpal tunnel and plantar fasciitis
• Headaches
• Traumatic injuries- sports, whiplash, and falls
• Concussions
• Post-surgical pain, scar tissue and adhesions
• Digestive issues
• Respiratory disturbances - asthma, bronchitis, shortness of breath, and shallow breathing
• Female pelvic health -PMS, irregular or painful periods, incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse
• Anxiety