What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is an allied health profession that manages the human body as one integrated unit and identifies the cause of pain, injury and movement discrepancy rather than just the region of symptoms alone. Osteopaths are trained to diagnose musculoskeletal conditions and can examine some medical aspects of health (for safety and general health considerations) such as neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal systems and then refer to other health professionals where necessary. The modern osteopath incorporates manual therapy with the relevant rehabilitation and advice into an overall management plan of each client that is tailored to suit their specific needs and goals.
What should I expect during my initial consultation?
During your first visit a detailed history will be taken, including medical history, any medications you are taking and other factors that may not appear to be directly related to your problem but are important from a medico-legal perspective. All information will be taken in the strictest of confidence. You may be asked to remove some clothing so that a physical assessment can be completed. This will include static and dynamic examinations to assess how your whole body relates mechanically to your complaint and will require a hands-on approach from your osteopath. The examination will then focus on the region which appears to be causing the problem and your osteopath can diagnose accordingly. After this, treatment, rehabilitation, advice and education will be provided as per necessary to assist in your needs and goals relating to your diagnosis and the underlying cause. Following this, your osteopath will discuss with you whether you require follow-up consultations, your management plan and any relevant healing times for your pain or injury.
Where and when necessary, we can arrange a referral for specialist investigations such as an X-Ray, CT, Ultrasound or MRI scans, and obtain the necessary reports before discussing them with you. These investigations may assist the diagnosis, enabling a suitable management plan to be developed with you. There may be some benefit in certain circumstances to attain these via your GP, however we can discuss and direct you in such cases.
What conditions do osteopaths treat?
Osteopaths treat any musculoskeletal condition, but more common ones include:
- Lower back pain, disc injuries, “sciatica”
- Neck pain
- Middle and upper back pain, rib pain
- Headaches and migraines
- Sports injuries – joint sprains (e.g. ankle, A-C joint), ligament tears (e.g. ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL injuries), meniscus tears, shoulder after relocation
- Pre- and post-surgery (prehab and rehab)
- Arthritis, osteoarthritis, stiffness in joints, muscle weakness
- Shoulder pain, frozen shoulder
- Knee and hip joint pain
- Ankle, elbow and wrist pain
- Tendinopathy, bursitis
- Pregnancy related conditions – pelvic, lower back problems
- Repetitive strain injury (RSI)
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Golfer’s and tennis elbow
- Postural and computer-related problems
- Whiplash
