Osteopathy is a primary care profession and a modality like many you may come across for helping the body’s natural mechanisms of healing, by improving various motions within the body and biomechanics, the physical structures and fluid components. It is a form of manual therapy ranging from light touch, strong techniques, articulations, manipulations to rehabilitation work, where the osteopath aims to assist the patient with their knowledge and various techniques to relieve aches and pains, help the individual understand the cause of their bodily issue, to provide the individual the knowledge and exercise to aid their rehabilitation for injuries or their goals in taking control of their health and wellbeing. Although issues normally are physical we understand that problems can also derive from systemic, genetic, psychological and environmental causes.
Our aim is to support and guide the individual with their healing and health journey.
We practice in line with and are governed by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC).
What do we treat?
Osteopathy focuses on the diagnosis*, management, treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal and other related disorders without the use of drugs or surgery. Commonly treated conditions include back and neck pain, postural problems, sporting injuries, muscle and joint deterioration, restricted mobility and occupational ill-health. (GOsC (2022) https://www.osteopathy.org.uk/faqs/what-do-osteopaths-treat/)
*As Allied Health Professionals we seek to complement your primary care. Healing takes time; like how a rope gets knotted over time, the duration it takes to unknot the rope depends on the complexity. However, there may be cases where we may refer you for further specialist checkups and imaging through your GP.
What techniques do I use?
Techniques I am trained to use include:
- Soft Tissue: massage techniques, myofascial work
- Neuro Muscular Release (NMR): very similar to trigger point work to release muscles
- Positional Release Technique (PRT): use of trigger points with muscles in a shortened position.
- Muscle Energy Technique: active movements where muscle(s) are targeted to aid the release of the muscle bundles
- Cranial Osteopathy/Involuntary Movement System (IMS): gentle work with neurological system, fluidic fascial systems, body tissues and structures to aid recovery and release of tensions. Subcategories of this technique are balance ligamentous tension and functional techniques.
- Visceral osteopathy: working with the myofascial components to aid pain relief and body functions.
- Lymphatic osteopathic techniques: pumping and soft tissue techniques directed to aid the lymphatic system for the mobility of fluids and drainage.
- Kinesiotaping: although not osteopathic, this is used to aid postural and neurological adaptations, and can be used for encouraging positional changes, injury recovery, pain relief, and lymph drainage.
- Dry Needling (also known as medical acupuncture): Acupuncture needles are inserted in muscles to promote a direct relaxation effect by working with the neurological system. This is different from Eastern/Traditional Chinese Acupuncture where acupuncture needles are inserted into specific points along meridian lines related to various organs to generate specific responses to aid healing.
Osteopathy Sessions & Expectations
We are generally trained to link health in the biopsychosocial model, understanding how physical health, mental health and socio-environmental health factors can affect the general health of an individual in various ways.
Sessions include:
- Assessment (ideally if dressed down to underwear or shorts and string vest) for your practitioner to observe your posture, skin tone & texture, and structural movements. The examination will be a mixture of active movements made by you, passive movements where we move you, movements where we may ask you to push against our force (active-resisted movements), and special testing (this could be with or without neurological testing tools, stethoscope, sphygmomanometer, etc.).
- From the assessment and examination, we will advise what we believe is occurring, what treatment we would like to provide with reason and potentially a prognosis (how long it may take to recover). However, as each person’s recovery varies, a follow-up session may be needed to understand how much change the initial session has made to provide a clearer prognosis.
- Treatment is provided followed by a summary of what has been done and how it should affect you. Along with exercise if deemed suitable.
How is the plan established?
At the end of the initial consultation, the cause of your symptoms will be explained as accurately as possible, including why your symptoms may have started, actions which need to be taken, how to get there, and how long it is likely to take to recover.
Your general posture and work posture along with your diet, exercise regime, your hobbies, and medical history will be taken into consideration for your bespoke treatment plan to give you the best possible advice and work out with you the best route to recovery integrating it into your daily routine. You will be encouraged to make suggestions and can ask for alternatives at any time. Treatment plans may work with other healthcare professionals and we may refer you to your GP or another specialist.
Your osteopath establishes with you what ideal self-help tools will work with your lifestyle, such as exercises, diet changes, use of heat or cold packs, etc., to speed up recovery and maintain good health.
How many sessions will I need?
Various factors can influence the speed of recovery, this is dependent on the type and degree of tissue injury, your age, diet, exercise regime, and the duration of injury – whether it has been stable or worsened over time.
Treatment goals will also influence the treatment plan. For example, are you looking to relieve pain, do you want an ongoing maintenance plan to work alongside your daily/weekly activities and routine, or are you wanting to resolve a chronic ailment?
On occasions, patients may only need 1-2 treatments to guide their bodies to allow themselves to flow through with the natural healing processes, other times and majority of patients return for 4-8 sessions for to create more changes in the body to re-establish mobility, reduction in pain and enhance function. Other complex cases will require more sessions, which will be reviewed every session to establish whether the progress is still in line with the patient’s goals.
How often should I have a session?
First 2-3 sessions is often between 4-7 days apart to understand how your body responds to the treatment. Then dependent on the ailment and goals, which is discussed with the osteopath, the treatments may be spaced out between 1-4 weeks or either every other month. However, it is important to understand that for progress committing to regular consecutive sessions will yield better results whilst following exercises and advice that would have been agreed when discussing the treatment plan.
If you have any questions do not hesitate to drop a message on bookings@motivatedinlife.com.