Osteopathy
Osteopathic treatment to get you back to doing what you love most!
Natural healing meets modern science. For anyone whose life has been impacted by physical pain, injury or discomfort, osteopathy treatment is a great way to help improve your body’s recovery. And with the Doctors of Osteo team by your side, you can trust that everything that can be done, will be done to see you through to recovery.
Common Questions About Osteopathy
What is osteopathy?
Osteopathy is an AHPRA recognised, effective and widely used form of physical therapy that looks at treating injuries and improving joint, muscle and bone health through soft tissue treatment, stretching, nutrition and positive strengthening of the musculoskeletal framework.
What does an osteopath do?
Osteopathy is patient-centred. This means we take the time to listen closely to both your injury and lifestyle concerns to help find the cause of your pains. We collate all the information gathered to reach a proper diagnosis so that we can optimise your body’s own healing process through physical therapy, massage and exercise strengthening.
What is the difference between osteopathy and chiropractic?
Osteopaths and chiropractors both use physical therapy to treat pain and injuries. The major difference between an osteopath and a chiropractor is that a chiropractor uses manipulation (or cracking) of the spine and joints to improve your body. As part of their treatment chiropractors adjust and manipulate the spine to ensure the nervous system is fully functioning, which may help other parts of your body to move more freely. Some exercise and management can be given in their consultation; however chiropractors are mostly manipulate in their approach.
An osteopath takes a more holistic approach to treatment, focusing on how the muscles, bones, joints, nerves, vessels and connective tissue function as a whole. Osteopaths often use a multitude of techniques including a combination of massage, stretching, articulation, dry needling, exercise rehabilitation, ergonomic advice and postural education. Out of Osteopathy and Chiropractic, you generally would receive the most hands-on care with Osteopathy due to the longer treatment times and greater range of techniques.
In summary; both Osteopathy and Chiropractic professions treat the same presenting complains and injuries, just with different approaches. We all want to achieve the same results being pain-free, without the need for prolonged medication or invasive surgery.
What type of treatments does osteopathy use?
With no artificial treatments or surgical procedures used, osteopathic treatment including soft-tissue massage, dry needling, ESWT shockwave therapy and strength exercise are often used to support your body’s own healing processes.
We are on the constant pursuit to better what we know through learning the most modern and evidence-based physical therapy and exercise rehab practices. This is important to us. Because it’s only then, that we can ensure we’re always equipped to provide you with the best care possible.
What conditions can osteopathy treat?
Through osteopathy treatment, our team can provide relief for a number of conditions, such as:
- Joint pain such as rotator cuff tendonitis, hip and ankle sprains
- Muscle pain and tightness
- Neck pain, headaches and migraines
- Back pain, disc bulges, disc prolapses and sciatica
- ACL and Meniscal knee injuries
- Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow
- Plantar fasciitis, Achilles pain and plenty more!
Are osteopaths safe?
Osteopathy is generally considered to be a safe treatment as many of our techniques are not invasive. However, like all treatments there may be some minor side effects. The most common is mild to moderate post-treatment soreness in the area being treated.
Do osteopaths hurt?
If your injury is painful or inflamed, you may find it uncomfortable during movement, stretching or treatment. However, our osteopaths will aim to make you as comfortable as possible. You may also experience some mild soreness in the day or two after your treatment, however this usually resolves itself. If soreness persists or gets worse, please always give us a call.
Are osteopaths doctors?
Osteopaths have indeed undergone medical training, although their university degree and education differs from that of conventionally recognized doctors and general practitioners. They are granted the honorary title 'Dr' and are required to be registered with the Osteopathy Board of Australia & AHPRA. Training to become an osteopath in Australia requires the successful completion of a 5-year-full-time university double degree which covers anatomy, physiology, pathology, toxicology, radiology, neurological examination, clinical based medicine, general healthcare diagnosis, and osteopathic techniques.
What can I expect at my first osteopath appointment?
Before we start our treatments, our first step will always be to understand the “why” by taking the time to understand you, your lifestyle and your concerns. From referring to X-rays and imaging to orthopaedic testing, we will help you find a proper diagnosis so that we know exactly how to help you get better fast.
Because it’s only when we know this, can we focus accurately on resolving your pain through physical therapy, massage, stretching, shockwave therapy, laser therapy and exercise strengthening to help you remove pain, improve your injury and help you quickly get back to the lifestyle you love.
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How Our Osteopaths Look After You
At Doctors of Osteo, based in Hawthorn East, we’ll use osteopathy, exercise and massage therapy techniques to help you banish those aches and pains and boost your injury recovery!
Here are some of the key services we offer to help you bounce back:
Shockwave Therapy
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) or known more simply as shockwave therapy, is a non-invasive, non-surgical use of ultrasound waves. The waves reach potentially damaged muscles, tendons and joints, to help promote circulation and natural recovery.
If you’re seeking treatment with Doctors of Osteo, your osteopath may provide a treatment plan that includes shockwave therapy. But whatever your practitioner recommends, their objective is the same – to get you back to the active lifestyle you know and love.
Functional Fitness
Functional fitness is the kind of fitness that enables you to perform and strengthen real-life movements and activities. Functional fitness is important as it enables you to live independently and to undertake everyday tasks and activities, with minimal risk of injury.
All our osteopaths are trained in exercise prescription and rehabilitation and are fully qualified to administer management plans if they find that functional exercises are suitable for your condition and injury. There is NO additional fee for management and exercise plans at Doctors of Osteos this service IS included in all our treatment sessions for free!
Strength Exercise Rehabilitation
Strength exercise rehabilitation is a corrective form of exercise designed to strengthen weak areas of the body. It plays an important role in recovery from injury, improving mobility and function, and reducing pain.
Using our knowledge as Osteopaths, we develop personalised exercise programs to help you safely recover from injury. Our programs are also designed to improve your posture, strength, and balance which means you’ll reduce the likelihood of injuring yourself in the future, whilst helping maximising your power and wellbeing.
Dry Needling
Dry needling and electro dry needling (also referred to as e-stim) is a trusted part of osteopathy at Doctors of Osteo. We use incredibly fine, solid needles (unlike the hollow sort used for injections). This means they’re essentially painless – most patients don’t even feel them as they’re placed. And in some cases (when e-stim is applied), those needles will deliver a minor electric current to help with circulation.
Despite their smaller size, they do have the potential to provide a large improvement in how you feel.
The Doctors of Osteo Difference
We do what we do because there is nothing more rewarding than to help improve our patients’ lives. Each appointment with our patients is individually tailored, so you can rest assured that no matter who we have the pleasure to meet in our clinic, you will always receive the Doctors of Osteo difference.
To us, patients go beyond a file number. We can’t understate just how incredible our patients are, and as such, we look to offer each person the individual care and attention they deserve.
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