We regularly get asked the question, “Why osteopathy?”. Why not go to see a physio or a massage therapist? The most important thing to point out here is that we will not be spending this blog trying to talk down other therapies, but rather explain osteopathy. There are many different therapies out there, and there are some highly skilled therapists within each profession. It comes down to a matter of preference and finding a therapist that works for you. Having said that, we believe in osteopathy and here are some reasons why we think our profession is awesome:
University education
Your osteopath has been put through their paces. Depending on the country of study, it takes 4-5 years of university degree-level education to become an osteopath. In that time a budding osteopathic student is grilled on all areas of the human body, the principles behind osteopathic thinking and treatment, hands-on techniques and how to help someone obtain health, and keep it. Each osteopathic student goes through a wide range of spoken, written and practical assessments each year which help to prepare them to take on the important role of a health practitioner. So, rest assured you’ll be in good hands when you see your osteopath.
Anatomical knowledge
An osteopath’s knowledge of human anatomy is second to none. We study every inch of the body from head to toe… it is our bread and butter. If we don’t know anatomy, we cannot treat osteopathically. We have extensive knowledge on how the different systems of the body relate to and work with each other to keep the human form ticking over and functioning well. An osteo looks much further than just the muscles, ligaments, and bones. We consider the whole body when we treat, which makes us extremely well-rounded practitioners who can provide treatment and advice for a wide range of conditions.
Hands-on skills
If you’ve been to see an osteo before, you’ve probably been amazed at the number of techniques they seem to know and perform on you across your time seeing them for treatment. The human body is very complex and requires an osteo to be tooled up to cope with any given situation. We are expert hands-on therapists who can call upon many different types of treatment techniques, including massage, mobilisation, manipulation (i.e. cracking) and many others. How we handle your body will leave you feeling confident in our ability to make a positive change for you.
Holistic approach
Osteopathy is a complete approach to treating the body. One of the number one reasons people come to see us is to help them get rid of pain. But osteopathy is much more than that. When you see us, you get the whole package. Yes, we will absolutely help you get rid of pain to the best of our ability. Pain is a complex phenomenon and there are always many reasons behind why someone feels the pain they experience. We can help you to work out what those reasons are and give you the tools to reverse the negative effects they are having on you. And with the best will in the world, keep that pain away forever too. We can help with our hands, but osteopaths are also skilled at giving great lifestyle, diet and exercise advice.
We care
Osteopaths are naturally caring people. We live to help others in need. When you consult with an osteopath for the first time (and any time after that for that matter) you will notice what a great manner they have. Always a keen listener, they will allow you to tell your story and always be there for you when you need them. Osteos will always do our best to get you the help you need, even if it means referring you to a different practitioner for specialised treatment. If you come to us with a problem that is out of our scope of practice, we won’t just turn you away. We will liaise with doctors and other medical specialists to ensure you get the care you need, when you need it.
We hope this has opened the book on osteopathy and given you a good reason to choose us here at Northcote Osteopathic Clinic the next time you need a helping hand. If you’re still not convinced, then give us a call on (03) 9482 3196 today, and we will be happy to twist your arm (in a totally caring and gentle way) to show you what we’re made of.
