In many areas, osteopathy is still relatively unknown. When asked, what is an osteopath? Some people have no idea, while others might link the word to its Greek origin and ask if it has something to do with bones and others might ask ‘they deal with backs, don’t they?’
So, if no-one is clear what an osteopath does, how will they know when to visit an osteopath?
It is common to find that the majority of osteopathic patients are middle class. One reason for this might be that they have a larger disposable income and therefore can afford to seek additional health advice from therapists such as osteopaths. One of our osteopathic members explained to me another reason why he thought this to be the case; ‘the middle classes can often be somewhat ignored by the medical profession since they are perceived as being wealthy enough to seek alternative help’.
Who knows if this is true, what we do know is that there are large numbers of people out there who are not aware of osteopathy, its benefits and its affordability.
The cost of osteopathic consultations varies dramatically depending on where you are located. Prices for a continuation consultation vary from £25 – £150 (based on a for 30 minute treatment). There are also a number of GP’s who will refer patients with musculo-skeletal problems to the local osteopath for free. Affordable osteopathy is also available at the training clinics of the major teaching establishments, such as the: British School of Osteopathy (BSO), British College of Osteopathy (BCOM), European School of Osteopathy (ESO), London School of Osteopathy (LSO), NESCOT, etc.
As for improving public awareness of osteopathy, there is much debate in the profession about whose job this is and osteopathy should be promoted.
Ask any Physiotherapist or Chiropractor how they get more patients and they will tell you that the patient self-referred or maybe that their doctor recommended manual therapy and to go and see a physiotherapist or chiropractor.
Ask an osteopath how they get their patients and they will tell you, through hard work and self promotion. In many cases, their success rates with patients will have a profound affect on their business. Not only will successful patients return with any future ailment but they will also tell their friends about ‘their osteopath’.
In a recent conversation with an osteopath, he mentioned how disappointed he was with the poor marketing of the osteopathic profession by its 2 major organisations; the British Osteopathic Association (BOA) and the General Osteopathic Council (GoSC), ‘we really have to rely on our patients telling their friends who we are and what we treat’ in order to get new patients to the practice.
The GoSC is the council responsible for protecting the title osteopath and also protecting the public from ‘unsafe’ practices. It does not however, promote the profession. Each year, osteopaths have to pay a registration fee to the GoSC in order to practice as an osteopath. Many osteopaths argue that they receive very little benefit in return.
The promotion of osteopathy is left largely to the individual practitioners as well as to the British Osteopathic Association. However, the BOA recently announced to its members that it was down to the individual practitioners to promote their skills.
With the profession as poorly recognised as it is and yet entering its eleventh year of statutory regulation, it seems unfair that the two major organisations associated with the profession and demanding high annual subscription charges, aren’t helping to raise awareness and utilisation of this highly effective form of manual therapy. However, as with all osteopathic debate, this argument is sure to continue for many years yet.
The content of this page is informed by feedback from clinics in Hertfordshire and also osteopathic practitioners in Leeds. Further input was received from osteopaths in the Chiswick area and practices in Southampton. Finally a contribution was made by a practitioner in Oxford.