What is an Osteopath?

It's so common I get asked "what is an osteopath? It's something to do with bones, right?" So, here is a short article to answer that very question.

So, its a little bit more than bones. Osteopaths are primary health care practitioners (NHS Recognised) who are similar to the more well know Chiropractic and Physiotherapy.

The term "Osteopath" is a protected term. Meaning that it is illegal for a person to call themselves an Osteopath if they have not passed an official 4 year Masters course.

The course (in Swansea University where I trained) involves completing 1500 hours in a couple of teaching clinics (including an NHS clinic in their final year of study), a 20,000 word Masters dissertation as well as many, many exams and essays.

During training, Osteopaths will learn about:

- Anatomy and human biomechanics

- Physiology (What happens in your cells)

- Pathophysiology (Disease and Injury)

- Nutrition

- Exercise rehabilitation

- Orthopaedic and Neuromuscular testing (The testing of your joints, muscles, nerves and organs)

Osteopaths must also pay to register with the General Osteopathic Council who oversee all Osteopaths to ensure and maintain a high standard of care.

Osteopathy, in my opinion, is all about treating the person as a whole rather than solely treating a condition or injury.

So an Osteopath will look at the area that is causing you pain/discomfort as well as including other joints. So with a knee problem, we will look at the foot, ankle, hips and the lumbar spine (your lower back) to narrow down which structures may be the culprit.

We will also ask you questions about your lifestyle including your job, hobbies, workout routine, past medical history and your family history. We do this because we want to find the root of the problem and manage it in the best way we know how.

How do we treat?

Osteopaths treat exactly how they assess, with a whole body approach. We will also advise you on how you can change your lifestyle in order to help prevent the issue from happening again.

Osteopaths use hands-on techniques including joint manipulation and mobilisation (gentle moving of your joints which may produce a click/popping noise), Neuromuscular Technique (advanced soft tissue massage), Muscle Energy Technique (getting you to gently contract your muscles to help them ease) and Strain Counter Strain Technique (putting your muscles into a position of ease to help them relax) all to help reduce pain, increase flexibility or stability and general whole body function.

Osteopaths are especially good at mobilising your nervous system in order to reduce the sensation of shooting pain, pins and needles, numbness and other symptoms of nerve pain such as Sciatica, Trapped Nerves and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Some Osteopaths also specialise in Visceral Osteopathy (mobilisation of your abdominal organs), Paediatric Osteopathy, Cranial Osteopathy and Sports Osteopathy.

In summary, Osteopathy is a science-based manual therapy that aims to help with pain and function by addressing the structure and strength of the body.

If you have anymore questions, search the register to find your local osteopath and ask them questions to see if they can help you! Remember, you should never receive Osteopathy from a person who claims to be an Osteopath and you can't find them on the register.

http://www.osteopathy.org.uk/register-search/

P.s. Osteopaths are all about consent and education. If you do not understand what an Osteopath is telling you, whether it be about a technique they want to do or describing what they believe is causing your problem, do not hesitate to ask them more. Good Osteopaths will take extra time to ensure you fully understand and consent to what they want to do.