Osteopathic treatment
Osteopathy is a type of manual medicine
We treat the same sorts of conditions as physiotherapists and chiropractors (and many massage therapists). Like those other professions we work on people’s aches, pains and injuries using hands on manual therapies, like massage, mobilisation and manipulation. We also prescribe exercises and give advice on posture, movement and lifestyle.
Osteopaths in Australia are registered health professionals who do 5 years of university training. In addition, they are required to do continuing professional skills development and many develop special interests and skills in particular areas.
The profession is regulated by the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Osteopathic Board of Australia. The peak body is called Osteopathy Australia: http://www.osteopathy.org.au/
The philosophy of osteopathy
At the heart of osteopathic philosophy is the idea that to heal the body we must optimise its natural functions and its structure.
The modern osteopath might do this by addressing important functions such as walking, posture, breathing, balance, movement patterns and muscle use during activities of daily living. They also look at how structural elements of the muscular and skeletal system might be contributing to a person’s pain and health problem and correct these where possible.
Other key philosophical principles are:
- The parts of the body make up a unified whole
Osteopaths rarely only treat the area in which symptoms are evident. They look for the inter-relationships between different parts of the body, and try to positively influence whole body patterns through hands-on manual therapy and exercise prescription. - The body has many self-regulating processes that should be supported for healing
An osteopath might encourage you to improve your body’s self-regulating processes by advising you on exercise, breathing, relaxation, diet and lifestyle. In conditions such as chronic pain an osteopath would consider psycho-social factors and advise you on how to work with these to improve your ability to cope, manage activities and reduce pain. - Structure affects the body’s functionResearch into Osteopathy: www.osteopathic-research.comInternational Journal of Osteopathic Medicine – IJOM: www.journalofosteopathicmedicine.com/home
What happens when you have your osteopathic treatment?
First appointment:
History and examination
The first appointment lasts for about 60 minutes to allow adequate time to understand your current complaint, your overall health history and to perform physical examination and tests.
Treatment
The results of the history and examination are discussed with you and together we make a treatment plan. In some cases treatment can start in the first session. However, sometimes treatment does not begin until the follow up appointment or you may be referred to another practitioner.
Subsequent treatment:
Subsequent treatments can be scheduled for 30 or 60 minutes. These treatments may involve hands-on manual therapy or supervised exercises. During ongoing treatment your progress is monitored to see if there needs to be an modification of the treatment plan.
Is referral necessary?
Referrals from doctors and other health professionals are welcomed but not essential. If you have been referred please bring details of your referring practitioner and any letters they may give you.
You are encouraged to keep your GP and other health practitioners informed. With your permission an evaluation and treatment report can be sent to your other health providers, so that we can co-operate in your care.