Osteopathy is a way of detecting, treating and preventing health problems by moving, stretching and massaging a person’s muscles and joints. It is based on the principle that the wellbeing of an individual depends on their bones, muscles, ligaments and connective tissue functioning smoothly together.

Osteopaths use the finely tuned sense of touch in their hands (‘palpation’) and psychomotor
skills to rebalance mechanical and physiological disturbances and limitations using a variety of
techniques. These include muscle and connective tissue stretching/ massage, rhythmic joint
movements, high-velocity manipulation (‘clicks’ or ‘pops’ from joints as appropriate) and
extremely gentle releasing techniques (‘cranial’and functional treatment). We may also give
suitable advice about exercise, ergonomics, and relaxation strategies.

It is important to note that Osteopathy is a patient-centred approach affecting the whole body and our Osteopath may focus attention on areas away from the immediate source of your symptoms. The number of treatment sessions required will depend on many factors but most patients require an average of 3 sessions. Follow-up sessions are usually booked in for 30 minutes. All therapies causing real change also carries the risk of potential side-effects and, although we do our very best to minimise the likelihood of these; In rare cases (less than 1%) unpleasant effects (such as light-headedness, tiredness and a momentary worsening of pain symptoms) may be experienced by patients. These are usually short-lived (24 hours or less) and our Osteopath team are here for support and reassurance should you have any worries. Good quality research evidence as well as historical documentation of patient interactions have shown Osteopathy to be a safe and effective form of treatment.

Paediatric consultations (for babies and children under the age of 16) require the presence of at least one parent or guardian and some other aspects vary from the adult format. For full details please contact us and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have in advance of your appointment.