Osteopathic treatment does not use drugs and is non-invasive (in contrast to most medical approaches). As a result osteopathy is often considered an alternative or complementary medicine. Although no drugs are used the treatment has a powerful effect. By helping to achieve a better physical alignment the osteopath will work to improve the central nervous system, the lymphatic drainage system and the circulation of blood. Patients are treated by massage, mobilisation of joints, and by the gentle practice of cranial osteopathy.

Osteopaths treat all kind of injuries and conditions. The most common issues patients present are back pain, neck pain and pain in the limbs, arms and legs, joints, shoulders, hips and pelvis. The reasons patients attend fall into two categories. First, pain caused by traumatic injuries such as slips, trips, falls or accidents; and secondly, chronic pain resulting from poor posture or degenerative disease such as arthritis. A very common reason for active people to visit and osteopath is an injury suffered whilst playing or training for sport or during physical activities such as dancing.

However patients also visit osteopaths with a wide variety of conditions which extend far beyond the back-related pain. Depending on their training and experience, practitioners working with our Network also treat women's issues such as pain during pregnancy, period pain and post-partum discomfort; respiratory issues such as asthma and chronic predisposition to chest infections; bowel and digestive tract disorders, including Irritable Bowel Syndrome; and stress, ME and chronic fatigue.

Depending on the condition, patients are treated with a variety of techniques including massage, mobilisation of joints, gentle manipulation (if appropriate and safe) and by the gentle practice of cranial osteopathy.

Cranial osteopathy

Cranial osteopathy is a sub-speciality practised by specially trained experts. This technique is based on the fragile bones in the cranium and the sacrum where the pelvis joins the spine. Practitioners look for misalignments not just in the bones but also in the cranial rhythm, which may actually be the body's electro-magnetic field. A misalignment could be caused by trauma, such as a baby being squashed in the birth canal, or by emotional factors such as stress.

Regulation and Education

Osteopaths in the UK are regulated by the General Osteopathic Council which maintains a statutory register of qualified practitioners, hears complaints from members of the public and has the power to strike-off from the register any person unfit to practise as an osteopath. In Australia the peak professional body is the Australian Osteopathic Association which works closely with universities in developing some extremely high teaching standards.  

In the UK the British School of Osteopathy is one of six tertiary institutions offering a very high level of training to students from Britain and overseas.