Osteopathy is a system of diagnosing and treating problems linked to the body’s structure. The Osteopath believes that the body’s inbuilt healing mechanism functions well when the muscle and skeleton structures are working at their best. They believe this also helps to promote long term health and well being, while reducing existing problems and symptoms.
It is a hands-on approach to treating the body, including nerves, muscles and ligaments and joints. The aim is to treat the root cause of the pain rather than use drugs to mask the problem. Osteopaths ease tense muscles and misaligned joints so helping to improve their function.
Osteopaths will also discuss situations that cause problems such as poor posture, repetitive movements, a sedentary lifestyle and acute stress.
You might not know
- Osteopathy has been an established medical musculo-skeletal diagnosis and treatment since 1874.
- Osteopathy is included in NICE guidelines (National Institute of Clinical Excellence).
- Treatments are backed up by relevant clinical research.
- It is illegal to call yourself an osteopath without 4 to 5 years of training.
- Osteopathy is regulated by the General Osteopathic Council.
- The British Medical Association’s New Approaches to Good Practice describes osteopathy as a 'discrete clinical discipline’.