About Osteopathy

Osteopathy can help who?

Everybody!  We are experienced with the whole spectrum of ages, babies,children, teens, adults and the elderly.

Osteopathy can help what?

Osteopathy can treat any number of physical complaints and musculoskeletal-skeletal complaints, here is a few:-

  • Tennis elbow
  • Arthritis
  • Headaches
  • Migraine prevention
  • Neck pain
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Sciatica + back pain
  • Hip, knee + ankle pain
  • Sports injuries
  • Tendon pain
  • Inability to relax
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Digestive problems
  • Muscle spasm
  • Circulation problems
  • Fibromyalgia

Why osteopathy?

Osteopaths are at an advantage in that they can offer their time and usually without a wait.  When you combine a decent 40 minute appointment with their rigorous medical training and ability to give hands-on treatment the results can be fantastic.  It also means they are well equipped to identify when a patient needs to be referred onwards for further investigation and indeed, osteopaths are often a first port of call for cases that really do need medical attention.  Musculoskeletal complaints are varied and sometimes elusive which makes osteopaths a great choice for the "grey area", not bad enough for medical intervention and not good enough to be happily skipping along.

What is osteopathy all about?

Osteopathy works from a model of health rather than one of disease i.e let's help your body into a position where it can be healthy, rather than treating disease.  Let's try to improve the movement of a restricted joint, when it moves freely then so will fluid/blood to this region and this will bring nutrients for health and remove waste.  We use a number of principles to help us do this, mostly based on anatomy, physiology, embryology and other bio-medical sciences.

Musculoskeletal symptoms can be looked at mechanically, detecting which cog first started to let the team down.  Emsworth Osteopaths are very perceptive at finding the slightest limitation or imbalance of movement and rectifying this can work wonders. We also take into account any existing or underlying illnesses and consider what life events the patient is dealing with.  Stress affects your bodies physiology which on a long term basis isn't good for health, disrupting the bodies circadian rhythms and biological processes.

Osteopathic Standards

Osteopaths are well regulated by the General Osteopathic Council and have to meet safe standards of practice.  Osteopaths are rigorously trained in clinical assessment and diagnosis of musculo-skeletal complaints.  They have 4 years full-time degree level training in anatomy, physiology, pathology, clinical examination, clinical reasoning, treatment techniques and the list goes on!  Importantly, they are trained to know when not to treat as some conditions can masquerade as musculoskeletal-skeletal complaints. For example, most people are aware of the possibility of getting left arm or jaw pain during a heart attack. Emsworth Osteopaths will refer you for medical care if you need it.