The philosophy of Osteopathy is based on four basic principles:
- Each structure in the body supports the body’s functions.
- The natural flow of the body’s fluids – lymphatic, vascular and neurological – must be preserved and maintained.
- The human body is the sum of its parts. Its physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and cognitive systems do not work independently – they work in harmony.
- When the body has no restrictions, it has the inherent ability to heal itself.
Osteopathic Manual Practitioners recognize a person as an integrated whole. When all the body’s components are in balance, a person is complete and in total health. Osteopathic Manual Practitioners work to maintain, improve, and restore the normal physiological function of interrelated body structures and systems, enhancing the body’s natural ability to heal itself.
Using various manual assessment and techniques and modalities, Osteopathic Manual Practitioners work to identify and ease restrictions, constrictions, and pain; reduce swelling; improve tissue mobility; and promote proper function and healing in people of all ages.
The aim of your Osteopathic Manual Practitioner is to optimize the self-healing mechanisms of the body. The frequency of visits is based on your assessment. Adequate time between visits is required to allow your body to integrate the changes that occur from one visit to the next.
What Types of Techniques are used?
SOFT TISSUE MANIPULATION
Soft tissue manipulation can be used in many ways. This method is used to evaluate the condition of tissues, ease restrictions, help the body’s fluids (blood, lymph, etc.) flow smoothly and restore function. Optimal neuro-vascular flow helps to reduce harmful fluid retention and allows the body’s immune system to work more effectively. Throughout the care, Osteopathic Manual Practitioners will continuously check on the state of the body’s tissues. The goal is to gently guide the tissue back to health without over-treating.
OSTEOPATHIC ARTICULAR TECHNIQUE
The osteopathic articular technique, involving gently moving two joint surfaces, is used to reduce muscle spasms, ease neurological irritations, assist in joint mobility and help reduce pain and discomfort. It is a less forceful technique than joint manipulation. Osteopathic Manual Practitioners will carefully prepare the soft tissues around the treatment area, positioning the patient so that there is minimal (if any) force needed to perform the maneuver.
CRANIAL OSTEOPATHY
As the gentlest osteopathic technique, Cranial Osteopathy is also one of the most significant. It is used to assess and treat the mobility of the skull and its contents. It may also be used to assess and treat the spine, sacrum, and other parts of the body. The goal of this technique is to adjust the body’s physiology by restoring balance and optimal neuro-vascular flow surrounding the Central Nervous System and all its autonomic centers.
VISCERAL MANIPULATION
Visceral Manipulation is used to effectively treat organs and viscera of the body, including the lungs, heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, stomach, pancreas, intestines, the bladder, and the uterus. Applied with gentle pressure, visceral manipulation corrections can improve the mobility of an organ, improve neuro-vascular flow surrounding the organ and ultimately help maximize organ function.
How Should I Prepare for Treatment?
We ask all clients to bring comfortable attire, preferably light, loose fitting clothing.
Your Osteopathic Manual Practitioner may spend much of the treatment in an area distant from your symptom area. This is usually because the cause of the problem lies distant to the area of symptoms.
During treatment, you may feel sensations in various parts of your body. This is usually a feeling of warmth or tingling, or a sense of deep relaxation. Occasionally, some discomfort may be felt, but you should tell your Osteopathic Manual Practitioner immediately if you are in pain.
What might I expect following Treatment?
Your practitioner will discuss any recommended precautions following your treatment. It is common to feel tired after a treatment. Treatment responses can vary, but in the event any pain persists 2-3 day after treatment or you have any concerns, please contact us immediately to discuss.
Note: Osteopathic Manual Practitioners are not medical doctors and will refer any emergencies to your physician or hospital.
Is my treatment covered by insurance?
If your extended health insurance plan includes osteopathy services (osteopath benefit), then receipts may be covered according to your plan’s policy. We suggest all clients verify with their insurer what coverage is available and which Association registration is accepted (example: OOA – Ontario Osteopathic Association or OAO – Ontario Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners).