Manual Osteopathy is a form of hands-on therapy. The primary focus is to restore function and eliminate pain by addressing the primary cause of the pain, injury, illness, or imbalance.
How Osteopathy is Different
Osteopathy is administered by a manual Osteopathic practitioner who has training in 4 main types of hands-on Osteopathic sub-disciplines:
- Osteo-articular adjustments
- Cranial-sacral techniques
- Visceral manipulation
- Fascial release
The fascial release and osteoarticular adjustments may sound a bit familiar because they are commonly used in professions like chiropractic and physiotherapy. They are often referred to as manual therapy.
Visceral manipulation is a type of gentle manual therapy used to assess as well as treat the viscera (organs), their suspension system, position, and the ligaments/fascia from which they connect directly to the musculoskeletal system. Imbalance in viscera and the connective tissues may be related directly to the posture and postural imbalances. It can impact several systems like nervous, musculoskeletal, respiratory, vascular, and digestive systems.
The cranial-sacral system includes the bones of the spinal cord and head. It also includes membranes as well as fluids that hold up and surround both the spinal cord and brain and join to the bones. Any dysfunction to any part of this system may lead to local effects like migraines, headaches as well as pain along your spine from the neck all the way to the lower back. A patient may also experience nervous system symptoms such as nerve impingement or even end-organ dysfunction like respiratory, digestive and gynecological complaints.
Importance of Manual Osteopathy
There are many benefits that come with manual Osteopathy. The treatment is mostly recommended where a patient has reached a plateau with traditional physiotherapy, massage, or chiropractic therapy. Manual Osteopathy can help eliminate pain that seems not to go away with other treatments. This is because the problem may be caused by a cranial-sacral or visceral system. Manual Osteopathy is effective both when used alone and in conjunction with physiotherapy, massage, and chiropractic therapy.
Conditions that can be Treated Using Manual Osteopathy
You will benefit from manual Osteopathy if:
- You had surgery
- Had a traumatic fall, injury, accident, or sports injury
- You are postpartum
- You suffer from migraines, digestive problems, menstrual pain or unexplained pain or other symptoms
- Have postural imbalances
A Typical Visit with a Manual Osteopath
When you visit a manual osteopath, the session will include a full-body assessment. This is because the main philosophy of osteopathy is that the entire body functions as a unit. Any of the parts cannot be ignored. The interconnected relationship of your body is thus assessed to identify the main cause of your complaint. It is only after a thorough assessment that a hands-on technique is used to address the problem.
A manual osteopath will help:
- Eliminate the underlying cause of pain by reducing muscle and joint stiffness and improve joint range of motion
- Improve posture
- Relieve chronic pain by reducing stress on joints, the tension in the body as well as improving alignment to treat the cause of pain
- Reduce scar tissue as well as adhesions
- Improve organ function
- Improve digestion
- Treat traumatic injuries
Do you need a manual osteopath near Ajax or Pickering? At The Center for Physical Health we are here for you. Give us a call to find out more. CP Health is a sports medicine clinic, offering physiotherapy in Ajax and Pickering. To book an appointment CALL NOW at ? (905) 239-5001
