Osteopathy

What is Osteopathy?

Osteopathy was the first complementary healthcare profession to be given statutory regulation by the government. Osteopathy works by understanding the cause of your pain, treating that, rather than the pain itself.

For example, rather than being caused by a single incident, most back and neck disorders tend to result from a mixture of poor posture, faulty body mechanics, stressful living and working habits, loss of strength and flexibility, and a general decline in physical fitness.

Months or years may pass before a combination of these factors results in an actual problem. Osteopathy dramatically changes the way that the pain is managed, as it shifts the emphasis from concentration on the acute phase when pain occurs, to the long-term prevention process.

Osteopathy can help alleviate pain and discomfort from most parts of the body. Osteopathic treatment delivers short and long-term benefits, and can involve techniques including soft-tissue massage, specific joint manipulation, medical acupuncture and rehabilitative exercises.

What we Treat?

• Low back pain and sciatica
• Neck pain
• Postural tension
• Shoulder pain
• Tennis and golfers elbow
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Repetitive strain injuries (R.S.I)
• Hip, knee and ankle pain
• Whiplash injuries
• Degenerative conditions (Osteoarthritis)
• Jaw pain
• Tension headaches

Why go to an Osteopath?

Osteopathy is an established healthcare profession recognised by the British Medical Association that does not use surgery or medication to improve a painful condition. Many common ailments can be successfully treated using osteopathy. Osteopathic care is based on the principle that while the body is a self healing organism it occasionally requires a helping hand. Osteopathy is designed to peel away these layers built up over our lifetime and get you back to doing what you love!

Insurance

Our osteopaths are registered with most health insurance companies (AXA-PPP, AVIVA, Cigna, Simply Health, Pru Health and more) so please check your policy to see whether a GP referral is necessary first. NHS referrals may also be available to you from your GP if you have had low back pain for over 6 weeks so please make sure you ask your GP for a referral!

Maintenance Treatment

On conclusion of your treatment, you may choose to return for maintenance treatments, in an attempt to prevent the recurrence of pain rather than waiting for an acute episode to re-occur and undergoing intensive treatment if and when a problem returns. Throughout maintenance treatment your osteopath will monitor the changes to your overall health, adjust exercise plans and treat those areas that have been historically the source of your pain and associated areas. Preventative treatment aims to educate the patient, to ensure that they are fully aware of their physical limitations and to empower them to minimise the chances of their original symptoms returning. Patients can withdraw from a preventative treatment program at any time!

To find out more about our Osteopath here at Emma James Physio please visit our Therapists section.