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Osteopathy in Malvern

What is Osteopathy?

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Osteopathic medicine (historically, osteopathy) is a philosophy, a science, and an art. It is an established system of diagnosis and treatment that lays its main emphasis on the structural integrity of the body. It is distinctive in the fact that it recognises much of the pain and disability we suffer stems from abnormalities in the function of the body structure as well as damage caused to it by disease.

Osteopathy uses many of the diagnostic procedures used in conventional medical assessment and diagnosis. Its main strength, however, lies in the unique way the patient is assessed from a mechanical, functional and postural standpoint and the manual methods of treatment applied to suit the needs of the individual patient.

Why see an osteopath?

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It is the osteopath's comprehensive approach to healthcare that makes treatment unique.

Osteopaths do not look on patients simply as sufferers from a condition but as individuals with their own unique requirements for health. Treatment is designed to correct each individual's mechanical problems in order to stimulate their own natural healing processes.

Osteopaths do not simply treat problems but look at all the factors contributing to a disturbed state of natural health.

Conditions that can benefit from osteopathic treatment.

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Many people believe that osteopathy focuses on back problems only. Nothing is further from the truth. Many conditions are commonly treated successfully with osteopathy. Some examples are:

  1. Head, neck and shoulder problems
  2. Arthritis and Rheumatism
  3. Migraines and Headaches
  4. Sports Injuries
  5. Repetitive Strain Injuries
  6. Whiplash
  7. Stress
  8. General Aches and Pains in Joints and Muscles

Visiting an osteopath at the Beacon Clinic in Malvern.

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

You will normally be asked to remove some of your outer clothing and to perform a simple series of movements. The osteopath will then use a highly developed sense of touch, called palpation, to identify any points of weakness or excessive strain throughout the body. The osteopath may need additional investigations such as x-ray, MRI scanning or blood tests. This will allow a full diagnosis and suitable treatment plan to be developed with you. Osteopathy is patient centred, which means the treatment is geared to you as an individual.

Treatment modalities used.

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  1. Massage
  2. Mobilisation and manipulation of joints
  3. Ultra-sound
  4. Interferential (a form of electro-therapy)
  5. Medical acupuncture (aimed at pain management and only with your
  6. consent, this is very different to the traditional acupuncture
  7. practiced at the clinic.)
  8. Cranial (sacral) osteopathy (a very gentle form of treatment)
  9. Exercises

Osteopathy and patient protection.

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Osteopathy is an established system of diagnosis and manual treatment, which is recognised by the British Medical Association as a discrete clinical discipline.

For the last sixty years, osteopaths have worked within a system of voluntary regulation that set standards of training and practice.

In 1993, osteopathy became the first major complementary health care profession to be accorded statutory recognition under the 1993 Osteopaths Act. This has culminated in the opening of the statutory register of osteopaths by the General Osteopathic Council in May 1998.

Only those practitioners able to show that they have been safe and competent practice of osteopathy will be allowed onto the register and in the future all osteopaths will be trained to the same high rigorous standards. All osteopaths will need to have medical malpractice insurance and to follow a strict code of conduct.

Patients will have the same safeguards as when currently they consult a doctor or dentist.

The four principles of osteopathy

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  1. The body is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit.
  2. The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
  3. Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
  4. Rational treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of body unity, self-regulation, and the inter-relationship of structure and function.

Practitioners

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Fees

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Above are links to practitioners of osteopathy at the Beacon Clinic Malvern.

Contact

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Links

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Above are links to practitioners of osteopathy at the Beacon Clinic Malvern.

Brief history of osteopathy.

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The osteopathic philosophy arises from the teachings and writings of Andrew Taylor Still MD (1828-1917). Still was a forward thinking physician who was convinced that 19th and early 20th century patient care was severely inadequate. Completely rejected by the medical establishment, he chose to establish a parallel medical educational system called "osteopathy".

Still suggests, "Within man's body there is a capacity for health. If this capacity is recognized and normalized, disease can be both prevented and treated."1 and "Disease is the result of anatomical abnormalities followed by physiologic discord."2

References.

1 Northup G W. Osteopathic Medicine, An American Reformation. Chicago, Ill: American Osteopathic Association; 1966:15

2 Truhlar R E. Doctor AT Still in the Living. Privately published. Cleveland, Ohio; 1950. Distributed, Indianapolis, Ind: American Academy of Osteopathy; p 13