About Osteopathy

Osteopathy is an established recognised system of diagnosis and treatment. The main emphasis is on the structural and functional integrity of the body. It recognises that much of the pain and disability we suffer stems from abnormalities in the function of the body structure, as well as damage caused to it by disease.

Structural osteopathy is often thought of as only for ‘backs’. As osteopaths we can work on almost all joints of the body. The term osteopathy implies that we deal only with bones and joints but encompasses muscular, ligament and tendon problems. By looking at how you use your body during day to day work, home and leisure activities we can build a picture of the stresses and strains your body is exposed to and then look structurally at how ‘fit for purpose’ it is to manage those tasks. We will then assess the local problem but also your general mobility and strength to then build a picture of what is causing the symptoms you have, why and what can be done physically by us with treatment and lifestyle advice and specifically tailored exercise to strengthen, stretch the relevant areas that could be functionally improved.

Treatment is usually gentle and depending on the problem, we will use a variety of techniques in the session to work on decreasing symptoms and improving function. This can involve working into muscles to relax them or help build and stretch them to a range of articulatory techniques to improve the mobility of joints, both in the spine and elsewhere. Some ‘clicking’ of joints may be suggested and used if appropriate, in consultation with the patient, but this is only one small part of osteopathic treatment.