Osteopathy

When you visit an osteopath for the first time a full case history will be taken and you will be given a full examination.

You will normally be asked to remove some of your clothing and perform a simple series of movements.

The osteopath will then use a highly developed sense of touch to identify any points of weakness or excessive strain in the body.

The osteopath may need to do additional tests such as taking reflexes or blood pressure. This will allow a full diagnosis and treatment plan to be developed with you.

The osteopath may decide that ‘manipulation’ or cracking/clicking of a joint would help you. Before any technique is performed it will be fully explained to you, and often another technique can be used if a patient would rather not have a joint ‘clicked’.

The first appointment usually lasts 45 minutes and subsequent appointments last 30 minutes.

What’s the difference between a chiropractor and an osteopath? In essence we do very similar treatments, but there are a few major differences.

Chiropractors tend to treat patients via a course of several treatments (you often book in for a course of 10 treatments after an initial assessment) and each individual treatment may be shorter and involve potentially more HVT’s (high velocity thrusts) or ‘cracking’ to the lay person.

Patients report that usually an osteopathic treatment involves more initial soft tissue work (massage) before any ‘clicking’ of joints, and this usually means the clicking techniques can be performed in a more gentle way. Also chiropractors usually take X-rays in an initial consultation with a patient to assess joint positions.

Osteopaths do occasionally refer patients on for an X-ray as part of their initial appointment (via the patient’s GP or privately) but in most instances the osteopath relies on their refined palpation skills and observational skills to diagnose joint position, and in fact osteopaths are less interested in joint position but more interested in how a joint is functioning.

For example, a person may have a ‘twisted pelvis’ but if it is functioning well and no symptoms are reported an osteopath would tend to avoid treatment to correct the asymmetry (a chiropractor may not).

It is important to add that all chiropractors and osteopaths tend to develop their own particular style of work and it is not always easy to apply these generalisations to each individual practitioner.

Osteopaths differ in their treatment approach to physiotherapists. Physios tend to prescribe rehabilitative exercises routinely. Osteopaths do recommend patients do gentle stretches to release tight muscles, but often we refer patients on to a suitably qualified Pilates practitioner or personal trainer if specific strengthening exercises would be beneficial.

Generally patients seeing NHS physiotherapists receive very little ‘hands on’ treatment, however, some private physios will do more ‘hands on’ work. Often patients wait a long time for physio on the NHS, by which time acute conditions may become chronic.

Osteopaths always treat the whole person, taking other areas of the body into consideration rather than just the area in pain. Physios may not necessarily do this (or have time to, if NHS patients). Osteopaths look for the underlying cause of the problem, attempting to resolve the cause rather than just the symptoms.

At Harrogate Osteopaths we work closely with many local highly qualified practitioners, including locals physios, Pilates instructors, massage therapists, nutritional therapists, yoga teachers and personal trainers, to make sure our patients receive the best care.

Cranial osteopathy is a very gentle and subtle osteopathic treatment that encourages the release of tension in the body’s tissues, which build up in the neck and head and elsewhere in the body, after birth trauma, illness, accident, or from repetitive strain injuries.

Practitioners use their highly developed sense of touch to diagnose areas of tension and restriction and use light pressure on different areas of the body to allow the patient’s own self-regulating mechanisms to rebalance their musculoskeletal, nervous, immune, and circulatory systems.

This usually is a very relaxing experience for the patient and in both adults and young babies, patients/parents report better sleep patterns and a calmer digestive system after treatment. At Harrogate Osteopaths we have experience of treating many babies – from a few days old up until they are toddlers and pre-school age. Parents usually report their child is calmer and more relaxed after treatment.

A full patient case history is taken, and for babies questions are asked regarding the pregnancy and birth too.