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| Below are few commonly asked
questions. |
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| What is osteopathy? |
| Osteopathy is an established
recognised system of diagnosis and treatment,
which lays its main emphasis on the structural
and functional integrity of the body. It is distinctive
by the fact that it recognises that much of the
pain and disability, which we suffer, stems from
abnormalities in the function of the body structure
as well as damage caused to it by disease. |
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| How does Osteopathy differ
from chiropractic and Physiotherapy? |
| At the clinic we spend around
30 minutes with most new patients; we perform
gentle manipulation; it is applied after extensive
work on the soft tissues; as the structural integrity
of joints rely on normalising all tissues, whether
it is in muscle, ligament, tendon and fascia.
We believe that the body has an innate ability
to help itself, so our treatment is aimed at restoring
normal function in order for your body to do the
rest, the result of this is fewer total treatments.
We do not leave patients in a cubicle attached
to a machine; we do not find it necessary to x-ray
every patient in order to diagnose their condition;
we do not prescribe drugs, however we are not
adverse to suggesting the use of some analgesic
medication in acute cases of pain; we work closely
with local medical practitioners who appreciate
the benefits of osteopathic treatment. |
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| What kind of problems
can osteopathy help with? |
| Whilst back pain is the
most common problem seen, we treat every joint
in the body, arms legs, feet etc. Osteopathy can
help with a wide varied of problems including
changes to posture in pregnancy, babies with colic
or sleeplessness, repetitive strain injury, postural
problems caused by driving or work strain, children
with glue ear, the pain of arthritis and sports
injuries among many others. Leaflets explaining
many of the common treatments used are available
from us. |
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| What happens at my first
visit to see an osteopath? |
| When you come to see us
for the first time, a full case history will be
taken and you will be given an examination. You
will normally be asked to remove some of your
clothing and to perform a simple series of movements.
After this any necessary orthopaedic testing and
neurological screenings will be carried out. The
osteopath will then use passive movements combined
with a highly developed palpation skill to assess
for any strains, or lack of function. If the osteopath
identifies a musculo-skeletal problem, then with
your consent, treatment will follow. This can
vary from gentle soft tissue massage, to articulation
of the joints and the prescription of exercises
to help the healing process. If necessary your
osteopath may need additional investigations such
as x-ray or blood tests. |
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| How many treatments will
I need? |
| Osteopathy is patient centred,
which means treatment is geared to you as an individual.
Your osteopath should be able to give you an indication
after your first visit. For some acute pain one
or two treatments may be all that is necessary.
Chronic conditions may need ongoing maintenance. |
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| Do I need a referral
from my GP? |
| A formal referral from your
GP is not necessary; the majority of osteopathic
patients approach us directly. |
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| How does osteopathy work? |
| Osteopaths work with their
hands using a wide variety of treatment techniques.
These may include soft tissue techniques, rhythmic
passive joint mobilisation or the high velocity
thrust techniques designed to improve mobility
and the range of movement of a joint. Gentle release
techniques are widely used, particularly when
treating children or elderly patients. This allows
the body to return to efficient normal function. |
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| How can I be sure I am
in safe hands when visiting an osteopath? |
| A registered osteopath has
demonstrated to the general Osteopathic Council
via a detailed application process that they are
a safe and competent practitioner, that they have
adequate malpractice insurance and have agreed
to abide by a Code of Practice. |
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| I have noticed many Osteopaths
have the letters DO and BSc (ost) after their
names what does this mean? |
| These are osteopathic qualifications.
The DO stands for diploma in osteopathy the BSc
is a degree in osteopathy. The length of training
is the same for both, at least four years full-time
training. The diploma course has been around the
longest but recently some courses have been validated
by universities allowing them to offer their students
degree passes. |
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| Can I have osteopathy
on my private medical insurance? |
| Many private health insurance
schemes give benefit for osteopathic treatment.
Some companies will reimburse the total fee or
pay a percentage of the cost. Contact the help-line
of your insurance company who will explain the
actual benefits and methods of claim for your
individual policy. |
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| What is the status of
osteopathy in the UK? |
| The 1993 report from the
British Medical Association "Complementary
Medicine - New Approaches to Good Practice"
recognised osteopathy as a discrete clinical discipline.
Osteopathy is the first complementary health care
profession to be accorded statutory regulation
(Osteopaths Act 1993). This legislation came into
force on 9th May 2000 requiring all osteopaths
to be registered with the GOsC. |
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