What is osteopathy for?
Osteopaths look at the body as an interactive system of social, mental, emotional and physical parts intrinsically linked via the musculoskeletal system. They, therefore, take into account every factor in a patient’s life rather than just addressing the symptoms, this, therefore, makes their outlook very holistic.
Osteopathy is a safe and natural approach to health care for all life stage and because it is person-centred, and is geared to you as an individual. This makes osteopathy by far the most established, respected and utilised of all complementary therapies.
The body has a fantastic ability to heal. However, if it cannot fully heal itself due to age or injury it will do the best job it can. In such cases, it will make changes and compensations to adapt to the condition. This will help the person cope in the short term but eventually will lead to greater problems in the future if not resolved. This is where Osteopathy can help the patient adapt and accelerate the healing mechanism.
Cranial osteopathy
Cranial osteopathy is a refined and subtle type of osteopathic treatment that encourages the release of stresses throughout the body including the head. It is a gentle yet extremely effective approach and may be used in a wide range of conditions for people of all ages, from birth to old age. Cranial osteopathy is very effective for treating children and babies.
Pediatric osteopathy
Pediatric osteopathy specialises in the treatment of children and babies. Pediatric osteopaths use the cranial approach which is gentle, safe and effective for children and babies. Very specific, the skilled light pressure is applied where necessary to assist the natural ability of the body to release stresses and tensions. Cranial osteopathy is specifically designed for treating children and babies.
About the profession of osteopathy
Osteopathy is recognised by the British Medical Association as a discrete clinical discipline. It is the first complementary therapy to have undergone statutory regulation by Parliament.
The name osteopath is now protected and it is an offence to practice as an osteopath without being a member of the General Osteopathic Council. This gives osteopaths similar status to a doctor or dentist and guarantees the patient the equivalent high level of protection
Only osteopaths able to show that they have been safe and competent are allowed on the Register of osteopaths, they all need to have medical malpractice insurance and follow a strict code of conduct. All registered Osteopaths have either a diploma or degree in osteopathy and are members of the General Osteopathic Council.
In the United Kingdom osteopaths currently, carry out an estimated seven million consultations every year. This is a 25% increase in demand since the introduction of statutory self-regulation for osteopaths in the 1990s.
Currently, most osteopaths work on a self-employed basis in the private sector, but there is a growing tendency towards multi-disciplinary environments and integration with the National Health Service (NHS).
