Osteopathy is a holistic approach to healthcare that looks beyond the injury site, considering your body as a whole. Often, the source of pain isn’t where it manifests, and an osteopath is trained to identify the underlying cause. They take into account various factors that may contribute to your condition, including movement patterns, other areas of the body, and lifestyle choices.

At Bodysmiths, osteopathy is a comprehensive service. While it includes hands-on techniques such as manipulations, soft tissue work, and stretching, it also places a strong emphasis on rehabilitation. This includes tailored exercise prescription and lifestyle advice to help you not only recover but build resilience and prevent future injuries.

Osteopathy is also beneficial even if you're not in pain. A thorough assessment can evaluate your body's vitality, mobility, flexibility, strength, and overall function. This insight provides the tools needed to enhance performance, ensuring you meet your personal goals with confidence.

Common conditions osteopathy can treat includes:

• back pain
• neck pain
• Headaches
• Sciatica
• chronic pain
• frozen shoulder
• arthritic pain
• rheumatic pain
• pre and post-natal pain
• sporting injuries
• occupational injuries
• postural-related issues
• pain related to scoliosis
• golfer's & tennis elbow
• nerve compression injuries
• whiplash syndrome
• And many more

Osteopathy helps by identifying and addressing the underlying causes of your discomfort, not just focusing on the symptoms. It combines hands-on treatment, targeted rehabilitation exercises, and lifestyle guidance to support your body’s natural healing process. Whether you're recovering from injury, managing chronic conditions, or simply aiming to improve your overall function, osteopathy enhances your mobility, strength, and resilience. By improving your body’s balance and movement, osteopathy helps you feel better, move with ease, and stay active in the long term.

Osteopathy and physiotherapy are both effective treatments, but they have different approaches. While physiotherapy typically focuses on rehabilitation, strengthening, and mobility exercises, osteopathy takes a more holistic approach, looking at the entire body to identify and address the root causes of pain or dysfunction. Osteopaths use hands-on techniques such as joint manipulations, soft tissue work, and stretching, alongside exercise prescription and lifestyle advice.

If you're looking for a treatment that not only addresses your current symptoms but also considers how your body moves as a whole, an osteopath could be the right choice for you. Osteopathy is particularly beneficial for those with musculoskeletal issues, injuries, or pain, and those looking to improve overall body function, posture, and mobility. Your osteopath will work with you to develop a personalised treatment plan that goes beyond symptom relief, helping to prevent future issues and enhance your long-term wellbeing.

During an osteopathy appointment, you can expect a thorough assessment of your condition, where the osteopath will take a detailed case history, discussing your symptoms, medical history, lifestyle, and movement patterns. This helps them understand your body as a whole, not just the area of pain.

Next, the osteopath will conduct a clinical examination, which may include physical tests, movement assessments, and hands-on techniques such as joint mobilisations, soft tissue work, and stretching. The goal is to identify any imbalances or dysfunctions in your body that may be contributing to your discomfort.

After this, your osteopath will discuss their findings and propose a treatment plan tailored to your needs. This may include hands-on therapy, rehabilitative exercises, and advice on posture, movement, and lifestyle adjustments. Some treatment may be provided during the first appointment, depending on the time spent on assessments.

Throughout the appointment, feel free to ask questions or voice any concerns - you will be fully involved in your treatment plan to ensure the best possible outcome.