Osteopathy

Osteopathy

Osteopathic Treatment

Our Osteopaths are committed to making your treatment experience as comfortable as possible by endeavouring to provide a gentle, caring approach for all our patients. Any concerns you might have, simply mention them to the receptionist or, on the day, to your osteopath.

What is osteopathy?
Conditions osteopathy may be able to help with
Special interests and skills
What does an osteopathic assessment and treatment involve?
What can one of our osteopaths do for you?
How can osteopathy help you?

What is osteopathy?

Osteopathy is complimentary medicine healthcare profession that focuses on a form of manual therapy that involves massage, mobilisation and spinal manipulation for the treatment of musculo-skeletal problems.  Osteopaths may help the treatment of aches and pains, arthritic pain, backache, back pain, circulatory problems, cramp, digestive problems, joint pains, lumbago, muscle spasms, neuralgia, fibromyalgia, inability to relax, rheumatic pain, minor sports injuries and tensions.

A detailed knowledge and understanding of the structure and function of the human musculo-skeletal system helps our Osteopaths to identify faults which occur because of injury or mechanical stress. The symptoms and the underlying causes of the problem, are treated, helping the body to repair itself and thereby enhance performance.

The practice of osteopathy includes skilled and specific soft tissue and joint manipulation and release techniques. This provides the Osteopath with the ideal tools to help the effective treatment of any musculo-skeletal dysfunction and a system of diagnosis which combines orthodox diagnostic procedures with a highly developed sense of touch (or 'palpation'). This is the basis on which our Osteopaths are able to establish the signs and patterns of poor function in an integrated and holistic approach to the human body.

The term Osteopath became legally protected in 1993 and, since May 2000, only those who have met strict guidelines and standards can become registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) and call themselves Osteopaths. GOsC registered Osteopaths have completed a four year full time course (or a five year extended part-time course) at a recognised college of osteopathy.

Conditons that Osteopathy may be able to help with:

Osteopathy may help with problems related to muscle, tendon, joint, disc, nerve and ligament damage.

 These include:

• generalised aches and pains
• joint pains including hip and knee pain from osteoarthritis
• arthritic pain
• acute or chronic backache/back pain/lumbago (not arising from injury or accident)
• uncomplicated mechanical pain
• headache arising from the neck problems
• migraine prevention
• frozen shoulder/shoulder and elbow pain/tennis elbow(lateral epicondylitis)arising from associated musculoskeletal condition of the back and neck
• circulatory problems
• cramp
• digestion problems
• sciatica
• muscle spasms
• neuralgia
• fibromyalgia
• inability to relax
• rheumatic pain
• minor sports injuries and tensions

Special interests and skills

In addition to the above, we are fortunate to have osteopaths with postgraduate experience in:

• Musculo-skeletal problems in pregnancy
• Childhood musculo-skeletal problems
• Minor Sports injuries. Click here for our Minor Sports Injuries Clinic
  
• Work injuries and occupation related complaints

What does an Osteopathic assessment and treatment involve?

Osteopathy particularly focuses on the underlying cause of a problem. So a consideration of the whole body’s interdependent mechanics is of considerable importance. A visit will involve:

• A comprehensive case history
• Detailed mechanical examination and, when appropriate, a variety of medical screening approaches (orthopaedic, neurological, cardio-vascular etc.)
• Clinical evaluation
• Explaining our findings and diagnosis to you and then having a discussion to decide an agreed treatment approach
• We always aim to provide gentle and effective treatment in a professional, caring environment. If it is felt that manipulation and/or ‘deep’ soft tissue techniques are required, this is only initiated with the informed consent of the patient

What can one of our Osteopaths do for you?

As a practice we are not only the first treatment choice to a wide variety of patients, but also provide visiting consultancies for Care Homes (such as Scope in Houghton Regis) and Sports Clubs including Dunstablians Rugby Union and Football Club and Leighton Buzzard Rugby Football Club. The Osteopaths in the clinic are experienced in working with the other therapists in the practice and will happily cross-refer should they feel another approach be more suitable for your personal needs.

The 'holistic approach' plays an integral part in complementing the particular technical skills of the Osteopath and often adds a different dimension to the treatment of various musculo-skeletal conditions. This means that your Osteopath will not only look at your injury but at the way that the injury relates to the mechanics of your whole body, your nutrition, emotional and mental factors, your work environment, the sports you play etc.

How can Osteopathy help you?

Osteopathy is particularly suited to assist those who require:

• The treatment of complex and/or recurrent injuries:
  The ability of the osteopath to help treat complaints as varied as back pain, headaches, hip problems and recurrent muscle injuries is a result of the Osteopath's unique approach to appraising each injury, as well as the wide range of techniques and treatment approaches employed.
• Injury prevention:
  The skill of our Osteopaths in assessing the functional relationship between the many different tissues that combine to determine your body's structure (muscle, ligament, fascia etc.) also helps them to recognise patterns that are potentially developing into sites of stress, strain and/or injury. They can therefore provide you with advice and treatment that should prove extremely valuable in helping you to recognise possible injuries before you are aware of them. Together with your osteopath, you may then help prevent such injuries from occurring.
• Reduction in the severity and incidence of injuries:
  An extension of 'injury prevention' is that the benefits accrued from Osteopathic treatment may include a better functioning body which can be more capable of combating and 'dealing with' injuries and mechanical disruption. The Osteopathic approach may also help the body's various parts to function as they should with particular consideration of your individual needs, thus the 'whole' body may function better and there is greater potential for improved performance. This is naturally of particular relevance to those involved in sport.
• Provision of care and well-being through the 'holistic approach':
  Many of our patients find that the Osteopathic emphasis on treating each person as an individual has enabled them to receive a service that goes beyond just 'getting better' and may result in them feeling even better, after treatment, than they had before the injury!

Please click here to visit the special clinics section to find out more...