Osteopathy is a form of manual medicine that has been widely used since the late 1880’s. It is based heavily upon unique biomechanical principles. Osteopathy focuses on the treatment of joints, muscles, ligaments and other connective tissues with a wide variety of “hands-on” techniques. Because osteopathy uses a holistic approach, the aim isn’t to just treat the problem but also to find and treat the cause. If you don’t address both the symptom and the cause, your problem will often persist for longer than it should.
Osteopathic treatment involves manual techniques including soft tissue stretching and massage, combined with mobilisation and manipulation of the joints. Osteopaths have one of the most varied range of techniques at their disposal, which allows them to tailor each treatment individually.
Osteopaths believe that simply getting patients to keep returning for more treatments is not the best form of long term preventative care. The key to preventing health problems recurring lies in increasing patients awareness of the causes of the problem, and in giving them the help they need to take responsibility for their own health.
Osteopathy is best known for the treatment of wide variety of musculo-skeletal problems. It is suitable for children through to sports people and even for the elderly as each treatment will be tailored for the individual. Some of the common complaints which patients will consult their osteopath include: