Osteopathy

Osteopathy, or osteopathic approach, is a hands-on manual therapy treatment method that looks at the way the body functions as whole, rather than viewing its parts or symptoms separately (i.e. a hurt shoulder here, a neck strain there).

It’s based on the philosophy that the body has an innate ability to heal itself when its components are in balance. The goal of osteopathy is to restore that proper balance and function, allowing your body to heal through its own natural processes. It works to balance your nervous, circulatory and lymphatic systems, improving your range of motion and relieving discomfort or other symptoms.

The philosophy of osteopathy has four main principles:

1. Each structure in your body supports the overall function of your body.
2. The natural flow of your body’s fluids (i.e. lymphatic, vascular and neurological) needs to be preserved and maintained.
3. The physical, emotional, social, spiritual and cognitive systems of your body don’t operate in isolation. They are interrelated and have to work in harmony to provide you with good health.
4. Without restrictions on its systems, the body is capable of healing itself.

Osteopathy can be an effective treatment for a variety of illnesses, medical conditions and injuries. The ranges goes from pediatric conditions to pain conditions to systemic problems that involve neurological, digestive or circulatory systems, as well as chronic infectious disease.

Common conditions treated with osteopathy include:

• Neck and back pain
• Sciatica
• Colic
• Migraines
• Fibromyalgia
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Chronic fatigue
• Plantar fasciitis
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Tennis elbow
• Frozen shoulder
• Scoliosis
• Whiplash
• Post-operative pain or adhesions
• Tendonitis
• Cramps, nausea and intestinal pain
• Heart palpitations
• Respiratory problems (i.e. asthma)

In addition to treating current conditions, osteopathy can also be used as a method of injury prevention and in the maintenance of good health.

Similar to chiropractic care and osteopathy, physiotherapy also treats pain and injury with hands-on treatment for your joints, muscles, nerves and fascia.

Physiotherapy differs from osteopathy first in its assessment and then in its treatment techniques. While osteopathy uses a hands-on only approach to both, physiotherapy often includes tools, exercise and other resources. Treatments sometimes include modalities such as ultrasound, heat, electrical stimulation and more.