Osteopathy is a holistic form of health care that prides itself on taking a patient- centred approach.
Appointments are classically 30 minutes to 1 hour, which enables practitioners to take a full history, really getting to know their patients and enabling them to develop a treatment and management plan that is most suitable for that individual.
Having reached a diagnosis and discussed it with the patient, osteopaths use a combination of hands-on soft tissue techniques, join mobilisation and manipulation techniques in order to reduce pain and increase function. They can also provide advice and comprehensive exercise plans to enable patients to continue their rehabilitation at home between appointments.
Highly Trained Medical Professionals
In order to become a qualified osteopath, individuals must complete a rigorous 4 year (full time) or 5 year (part-time) training course. This training enables practitioners to diagnose, treat and manage a wide and varied range of injuries and conditions.
The profession is regulated by the General Osteopathic Council, which ensures that all practitioners are meeting its high standards of care by enforcing the need to complete at least 30 hours of CPD each year, be insured and abide by the high ethical standards required of medical practitioners.
As primary health care practitioners, osteopaths work together with other health care professionals in order to ensure patients receive the most suitable treatment and care for their issues, be that sending them for further imaging, having an open dialogue with their GP’s or referring patients to consultants or specialists when required.
Safe, Effective and Enjoyable Treatment
Appointments will generally involve a large amount of hands-on treatment, however, osteopaths don’t just click necks and backs! We use a number of techniques to address soft tissue tightness, joint restrictions and sources of pain throughout the entire body.
Due to our wide skill set, we can select the techniques that best suit each individual patient and their complaint (which may or may not include joint manipulation!) therefore treatment is suitable for patients of all ages! Treatment adjuncts that we can use during appointments to ensure effective results include dry needling/medical acupuncture, taping and strapping, assisted stretching and corrective rehabilitation exercise prescription.
Common conditions that osteopaths treat include:
- Headaches
- Neck pain
- Sciatica
- Back pain
- Arthritis
- Shoulder pain & frozen shoulder
- Muscle spasms
- Pregnancy-related musculoskeletal pain
- Balance problems
- Stress-related muscle pains
- Sports injuries
Therefore, whatever your age or problem, we will do our best to help you or refer you on to someone else who can!
Your local osteopathic clinic being GW Osteopathy Guildford