Osteopathy

(By Duncan Scobie DO, registered osteopath, clinic principal.)

As a 16yr old I was pushed in an entirely different career pathway rather than osteopathy, but as luck would have it, after taking my A levels, I stumbled upon osteopathy by chance, and I have never looked back since, it is a career that I love, I find it both rewarding and enlightening.

Osteopathy originally started in America in the 19 th century, by Dr Andrew Taylor Still. He felt, simplistically, that many conditions were made worse by poor body mechanical function, and that improving this function could help restore the body's ability to deal with these conditions. (I hope I have done him justice in this one sentence appraisal)

One definition of osteopathy is, “It is a way of detecting and treating damaged parts of the body such as muscles, ligaments, nerves and joints. When the body is balanced and efficient, just like a well tuned engine, it will function with the minimum of wear and tear, leaving more energy for living.” (GENERAL OSTEOPATHIC COUNCIL)

There are many conditions that can be treated and eased with osteopathy such as sciatica, muscle strain, vertebral disc injuries, spondylosis, head aches, some forms of tinnitus, repetitive strain injuries, sports injuries, the effects of wear and tear on the musculo-skeletal system, back-pain during pregnancy, and many more. A detailed case history and examination helps to determine whether our treatment will suit, or whether a referral to another specialist for further tests is necessary. There are many different ways to treat, including soft tissue massage, articulation and manipulation. A treatment style can be picked to an individual patients needs, this helps make it as effective and as safe as possible.

Osteopathy is one of the countries most popular forms of complementary medicine, and was the first one to be granted statutory recognition. The title of “osteopath” can only be used by someone that is a registered member of the GENERAL OSTEOPATHIC COUNCIL. What this means to you as a patient is that there is a governing body maintaining standards and safety.

We have 3 osteopaths working in the clinic; there is myself, Jodi Capleton and Samantha Mitchell. My particular osteopathic style is primarily structural, Jodi is primarily a cranial osteopath and Sam is structural like myself. Both Jodi and Sam are also Naturopaths.

If you wish to find out if we may be able to help you, please don't hesitate to contact us.