Osteopathy
What is Osteopathy?
Ask our osteopath, Toby, about what osteopathy is, and he will tell you that it is difficult to define.
It's not just about bones and joints.
It's not just about bad backs (although it's a common complaint!)
Osteopaths treat the whole body, from head to toe, much like a physiotherapist. But somehow, they go about it differently.
Toby has always worked alongside physiotherapists and found that the different approaches each have their benefits.
While some injuries can be clearly labelled, other conditions are harder to pinpoint. Perhaps the former type of condition suits physiotherapy, and the latter is better served by osteopathy?
Generalisations rarely seem to answer these questions satisfactorily...
What can osteopathy help?
Our osteopath, Toby, has helped hundreds of patients cope with back pain. This varies from first-time sufferers to those who have had back pain for decades.
Back pain extends up through our chest and ribcage to our neck, another common area for treatment.
Headaches are also a common reason for visiting an osteopath, and while many headache types are difficult to treat, there are various triggers for headaches in our bodies that can be treated, reducing or removing the headaches.
Then we have limbs!
Hips, knees, ankles, feet and toes can all be assessed and treated, as well as shoulders, elbows, wrists and hands. Sure, some conditions are more prevalent than others, but Toby has seen it all, and helped patients with conditions all over their bodies.
Last, Toby is more than happy to refer on for imaging and to other experts when the time is right. He has a good network of trusted experts, and spends time developing this network so his patients can get the best possible advice.
What to expect
Appointments with our osteopath, Toby, begin with a conversation about your condition, and the story behind it.
If appropriate, the next step is an examination, getting you to do some movements, and perhaps going through some tests to help confirm what might be the matter.
We then move on to treatment, or sometimes, advice and rehab are more appropriate, without any hands-on treatment. We just don't really know until we've been through history and examination.
Toby's style of treatment is very gentle. No cracking or crunching. He can still get stuck in, but lots of manipulations is not his cup of tea.
This video gives a nice overview of how a session unfolds, and what you might want to consider before your
appointment.
How many sessions will I need?
Most patients who meet Toby see a good improvement within three sessions, sometimes less!
More complex or serious cases might need more sessions, but the requirement for this will always be justified.
Recurrent conditions typically require additional sessions in the future as they re-occur, but by then the goal is to prevent recurrence as well as calm the current pain.
Part of a multidisciplinary team...
The great advantage of having a team of practitioners is that they can refer patients to each other when required.
Toby has worked alongside our sports massage therapist, Laura, for years, and they have a trusted and efficient relationship, passing patients between them as and when required.
So if Toby thinks you need the input of our massage therapist he will say so, and in return, Laura regularly refers patients to Toby when she feels they need his input.
