What is Osteopathy?
The Origin of Osteopathy
Osteopathy was founded by Dr A.T. Still in 1892. He was a medically trained surgeon and physician but felt as though modern medicine (at the time) was doing more harm than good with treatment practices. He also believed that it was also limited in managing people for their conditions, whilst only focusing on their symptoms. He developed the foundations for Osteopathy as a means of preventative medicine (which is still a core component of what we believe today) and founded the American School of Osteopathy (now A.T. Still University), the world’s first osteopathic medical school, in Kirksville, Missouri.
Major influence in Global Healthcare
Although things might have changed since 1892, Osteopathy has become a core component in the health care systems of over 50 countries. In Australia, it has been practiced for over 100 years and Australia was one of the first countries to regulate the profession.
What do Osteopaths do?
Osteopathy is a form of healthcare that focuses on the neuro-muscular system which include bones, muscles, nerves and other tissues that help control the body’s movement patterns. We incorporate a range of different treatment techniques (both active and passive) to best assist our patients. Each treatment is individuall to the patient, their presenting complaint and other underlying comorbidities. Osteopaths are five year university trained and we incorporate our knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathology and biomechanics to formulate our treatment plans.
What is the difference between Osteopathy, Physiotherapy and Chiropractic?
There are quite a few similarities between the three professions. All three:
- Are university trained
- Are Primary Heath Care practitioners
- Are governed and must be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
- Can utilise a combination of manual therapy and exercise prescription
So what makes Osteopathy different?
As Osteopaths we aim to treat the body holistically, meaning that we look at the body as a whole and don’t just focus on your area of concern. This is to ensure that we treat the cause of your symptoms, rather than just your symptoms. For example, if you were to come in with hip pain, we would also screen the mid back, low back, knees and ankles to see how that may influence your pain. We will also ask questions about your lifestyle and other factors which we think may influence your pain.
Is Osteopathy appropriate for my condition?
There are so many factors which can influence an individual’s pain. If you would like to discuss this further or have any questions in regard to your pain and concerns about making an appointment, please contact us so we can assist you with these and determine if we can help you. You can also book an appointment here.