ABOUT OSTEOPATHY
OSTEOPATHY is an approach to health care which emphasises the importance of a well functioning musculoskeletal system in the maintenance of good health. Any kind of joint ache, pain or stiffness whether it be in the back, the neck, the head, the arms or the legs can be an indication that there are underlying joint and muscle strains and these, left untreated, may upset a person's health generally.
Have you ever noticed how tired you can feel when your back is sore or when you are hobbling around on a sprained ankle? Headaches in particular can be very draining and can have a negative effect on many aspects of daily life. More and more research is showing us that one of the best things we can do for our long term health and well being is to take regular moderate, non traumatic exercise. But if exercising aggravates your pain chances are you just won't exercise and you'll miss out on all those benefits.
Osteopathy differs from other therapies in that it is not so much a treatment technique or a particular form of treatment but more a philosophy that looks at the human being as a self regulating, self healing organism. A whole range of treatment techniques and approaches can then be drawn upon that endeavor to stimulate the body to heal and balance itself. The osteopath doesn't so much focus on the area of pain but looks at the whole person to see why they are in pain and why the pain is manifesting in the way it is.
Osteopathy was originally conceived by an American doctor, Andrew Taylor Still, in the second half of the nineteenth century. Dr Still perceived osteopathy not as a treatment for musculoskeletal aches and pains but as a complete approach to health care in which prescription drugs and surgery could also be used if they achieved the aim of stimulating the body to heal itself. Osteopaths therefore never claim to "cure" anyone. The techniques we apply give your body the opportunity to function at it's best so that you can feel your best.
Among the many approaches used by Osteopaths are joint articulation, massage, manipulation, positional joint release techniques, isometric muscle techniques, Craniosacral technique, Bowen technique, Emmett technique, muscle stretching and nutritional therapy as well as exercise and lifestyle advice.
When should you see an Osteopath?
You should consider visiting an osteopath
Have you ever noticed how tired you can feel when your back is sore or when you are hobbling around on a sprained ankle? Headaches in particular can be very draining and can have a negative effect on many aspects of daily life. More and more research is showing us that one of the best things we can do for our long term health and well being is to take regular moderate, non traumatic exercise. But if exercising aggravates your pain chances are you just won't exercise and you'll miss out on all those benefits.
Osteopathy differs from other therapies in that it is not so much a treatment technique or a particular form of treatment but more a philosophy that looks at the human being as a self regulating, self healing organism. A whole range of treatment techniques and approaches can then be drawn upon that endeavor to stimulate the body to heal and balance itself. The osteopath doesn't so much focus on the area of pain but looks at the whole person to see why they are in pain and why the pain is manifesting in the way it is.
Osteopathy was originally conceived by an American doctor, Andrew Taylor Still, in the second half of the nineteenth century. Dr Still perceived osteopathy not as a treatment for musculoskeletal aches and pains but as a complete approach to health care in which prescription drugs and surgery could also be used if they achieved the aim of stimulating the body to heal itself. Osteopaths therefore never claim to "cure" anyone. The techniques we apply give your body the opportunity to function at it's best so that you can feel your best.
Among the many approaches used by Osteopaths are joint articulation, massage, manipulation, positional joint release techniques, isometric muscle techniques, Craniosacral technique, Bowen technique, Emmett technique, muscle stretching and nutritional therapy as well as exercise and lifestyle advice.
When should you see an Osteopath?
You should consider visiting an osteopath
- following any kind of lifting strain
- after a fall or any kind of physical trauma
- after spraining or injuring any joint
- following a motor vehicle accident even if your pain is only temporary
- when you injure yourself playing sport
- after any injury at work whether traumatic or repetitive
- when you wake in the morning with back pain or stiffness whatever your age
- when your neck and shoulders feel tense by the end of the day
- when your headaches just won't go away
- when your aches and pains have failed to respond to other forms
of treatment