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What is an osteopath?

Osteopathy is a form of manual medicine which recognises the important link between the structure of the body and the way it functions. Osteopaths focus on how the skeleton, joints, muscles, nerves, circulation, connective tissue and internal organs function as a holistic unit. Using skilled evaluation, diagnosis and a wide range of hands-on techniques, osteopaths can identify important types of dysfunction in your body. Osteopathic treatment uses techniques such as stretching and massage for general treatment of the soft tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments) along with mobilisation of specific joints and soft tissues.

In Australia, osteopaths are government registered practitioners who complete a minimum of five years’ university training in anatomy, physiology, pathology, general medical diagnosis and osteopathic techniques. Osteopaths are primary healthcare practitioners and are trained to recognise conditions which require medical referral. They are also trained to perform standard medical examinations of the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems.

Osteopathy is covered by most private health funds and the Medicare Enhanced Primary Care scheme. Osteopaths are registered providers for workers’ compensation schemes, motor accident insurers and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Is osteopathic treatment safe?

There’s no such thing as a form of medical treatment which is guaranteed 100% safe in every case. Even the painkillers you buy in the supermarket for a headache may cause severe side effects in some patients. That said, however, Osteopathy has one of the best safety records of any medically-related profession. Osteopaths are trained to recognise any condition that might make Osteopathic treatment inadvisable, and will refer patients for appropriate medical attention in such cases. Just as a Doctor regards safety as the most important factor in selecting the appropriate medication for a particular patient, so an Osteopath will also select the most appropriate style of treatment with safety as the prime consideration. Your osteopath will discuss with you any risk associated with particular treatment.

What is the difference between an osteo, a physio and a chiro?

It’s not the role of any health professional to try to define what another health care professional is, and what they do. If you want a definition, it would be best to ask people in those professions. What we can do is tell you about the defining characteristics of Osteopathy, which are its underlying philosophy and its broad range of techniques.

While "Biomechanics" has become one of the most rapidly developing areas of medicine in recent years, Osteopathy was an early profession to incorporate biomechanical analysis of how injuries occur and what the secondary effects are likely to be. To take a simple example, if you go to an Osteopath with a knee injury, the Osteopath will do much more than just examine and treat your knee. They will want to know exactly how the injury occurred in order to assess not just which tissues in the knee are injured, but also whether there may be any involvement of other areas with a mechanical relationship to the knee, such as the foot, hip, low back and pelvis, and the associated soft tissues.

They will then want to analyse any possible secondary effects. For instance, you may be "avoiding" the bad knee and putting more weight on the other side. Over a period of time, this may lead to problems developing in the low back or the "good" knee. The Osteopath will then use this information to prescribe a treatment plan that addresses not just the knee, but all of the other areas of the body and associated tissues that may be involved. The plan will include attention not just to the joints and their associated soft tissues, but also to the blood supply to the affected areas, the lymphatic drainage, the nerve supply etc., in order to include all those factors which will affect the success of healing. It is this "whole body, multi-system" approach that has been the basis of Osteopathy’s success over the last century.

Do I need a referral?

No. You are able to visit an osteopath without a formal referral. Just call the clinic and we are happy to chat to you.

It is covered under Medicare?

Yes IF you have a Medicare EPC referral from your GP. This is a referral for chronic musculoskeletal conditions only which allows 5 osteopathic treatments to be subsidised under Medicare. A GAP payment of $10 applies for each treatment.

Is it covered under private heath insurance?

Osteopathy is covered under the “extras” umbrella of private health insurance. Contact your health fund for information on your eligibility and rates of rebates for your cover.

How many treatments will I need?

This is very dependent on your injury, your age, your work, your aggravating factors, how long the injury has been there, is there any pathology/disease (ie arthritis) to slow the healing process down etc. All of these factors will be discussed in your treatment with your osteopath once an assessment and diagnosis has been reached.

Do you treat other areas beside the spine?

YES! We treat all musculoskeletal conditions from plantar fasciitis, to carpal tunnel, to shoulder rotator cuff to elbow repetitive strain injuries to knee strains. Take a look at our common condition (link). Feel free to discuss any areas that may need attention with your osteopath.

What about long term preventative care?

Osteopaths believe that getting patients to keep returning for more treatments is not the best form of long term preventive care. The key to preventing health problems recurring, and to developing long-term solutions, lies in increasing patients’ awareness of the causes of problems, and in giving them the help they need to take responsibility for their own health.

This is done in a number of ways:

• By identifying the causative factors of a patient’s problems, such as problems with workplace ergonomics, and trying to reduce or eliminate them.
• By teaching patients more efficient and less strenuous body usage in their actions at home or at work.
• By helping patients become aware of postural problems and how to correct them.
• By providing individually tailored exercise programmes both for rehabilitation and prevention.
• By teaching relaxation techniques to reduce stress.
• By working in conjunction with other practitioners such as dieticians, occupational therapists etc. where appropriate.

Osteopaths thus believe that long-term prevention is the result of a cooperative effort between patient and practitioner.

How do osteopaths treat?

In carrying out treatments, Osteopaths can call upon what is probably the largest range of techniques used in any manual therapy.

These include:

• Massage and stretching techniques
• Articulation techniques, in which joints are mobilised by being passively taken through their range of motion
• Muscle Energy techniques, in which contracted muscles are released by alternately being stretched and made to work against resistance.
• Counterstrain techniques, which achieve release of restriction by placing the affected joint or muscle in a position of comfort, while applying a "Counter" stretch to the antagonists of the tight muscles.
• Functional techniques, which involve gentle mobilisation of joints in a way which "probes" barriers to normal movement until a way is found through the restriction.
• Manipulation, which may be used where it is appropriate and safe to do so, though it is not the mainstay of most Osteopathic treatments. Osteopathic manipulations are carried out using minimum force levels in order to maximise safety and minimise patient discomfort.
• Many Osteopaths also use what is known as "Osteopathy in the Cranial field", which is a gentle release technique particularly suited to young children and the physically frail.
• "Visceral" techniques are used in the management of conditions affecting internal organs. These involve gentle and rhythmical stretching of the visceral areas.
• Osteopathic treatments are tailored to the requirements of the individual patient, and techniques are selected which are appropriate to the patient’s needs.