What is Osteopathy
If you are unfamiliar with osteopathy it is very similar to the examination, assessment and exercise prescription you would receive from a physiotherapist. However osteopaths may also use specific osteopathic techniques to manipulate and mobilize joints and soft tissues, to improve the body's function.​When working towards alleviating your pain an Osteopath will consider you holistically. This mean that they will not only examine how you move or where you are experiencing pain or restriction, but will also help you understand how diet, sleep, social, and spiritual relationships can all have an impact on your experience of pain and how you feel within your body. ​Our bodies are intricately designed to self-heal through a complex network of physiological processes that work harmoniously to repair and regenerate damaged tissues. Osteopathy recognizes the capacity of the musculoskeletal system to influence and even address these natural processes. Osteopaths are taught that the musculoskeletal system acts as a critical regulator of health and wellness, providing a way to access and assist the body's natural processes when they become overwhelmed or imbalanced. While we are beautifully structured machines, designed to move and regenerate, the demands of modern life can take a toll on our bodies, causing them to become disturbed and imbalanced. This can lead to a range of health issues, including disease, discomfort, pain, and breakdown or burnout. There are various reasons for this, including​
​
-
Prolonged sitting at work, leading to stiffness and stagnation.
-
Excessive and rigorous exercise causing overload issues.
-
Unavoidable psychological stress manifesting as bodily symptoms.
In short, we can become overwhelmed, overloaded, and imbalanced due to various reasons. While these issues may resolve naturally over time and space, the luxury of time and space is not always feasible. Therefore, we may require professional help to get back to a place of balance, without pain, aches, and disease.
So how can Osteopathy help
As osteopaths, we develop a sense of feeling through our hands using palpation, a physical act that continually develops through our career, during assessments of the body. We palpate to detect areas that are overly tight, inflamed, or sensitized, or areas that are hardened, ropey, or stiff. We feel through the muscles and joints, searching for subtle or obvious restrictions and checking if joints are not moving or gliding as smoothly as they should, or even moving excessively. Our targeted treatment can then help you feel and move better, reducing tension and stress, and improving flow, which can ultimately assist in pain reduction and the revitalisation of the natural healing mechanisms within your body