One of the most common questions I get asked when I tell people what I do for a living is “What exactly is an Osteopath?!”
Most people have heard of Physiotherapy and probably a Chiropractor but Osteopathy seems, for some reason, to remain largely unknown amongst the wider public.
Osteopathy is fairly similar to the other more well known types of manual therapists in that it is a type of hands on treatment for a wide range of aches and pains associated with your muscles and joints. An Osteopath uses treatments such as massage and joint mobilisation to help return your body to its normal pain free function.
Where an Osteopath differs from the other therapies is their ability to look at and consider the whole of the person not just the part that is the painful bit. Looking at the whole also considers aspects of the persons daily life, what does their job involve, what hobbies do they have, what family pressures are they under. A persons history is also important to an Osteopath, any previous accidents, injuries or illness will leave lasting memories in the muscles, tendons and ligaments which could be a factor in why the current problem has developed.
What training do Osteopaths get?
The training to become an Osteopath is a 4-5 year long degree which involves the in depth study of both the anatomy and physiology of the human body. Training will also involve studying a wide range of health complaints and diseases therefore enabling an Osteopath to be trained in recognising when symptoms may be due to an underlying condition rather than just purely muscle or joint pain. As a result Osteopaths are recognised by the NHS as primary health care providers. This means that our training is recognised as giving us sufficient knowledge to be able to diagnose as well as refer any patients back to a GP who’s symptoms may require further investigation.
How is Osteopathy regulated?
In order to use the term Osteopath a practitioner must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council . Acceptance on to the register is only permitted following graduation from an accredited training centre, having the correct insurance and also keeping up to date with current knowledge by completing at least 30hrs of further training each year, this registration is renewed annually.
The term Osteopath is a protected title and anybody using the title who is not registered with the GOSC is liable for prosecution.
I hope that helped give you a slightly clearer idea of what an Osteopath is and what we might be able to help you with – if not questions are always welcomed. Just drop us a message – we don’t bite honest!!
