Osteopaths use touch, physical manipulation, stretching and massage to treat a patient. The aim is to increase the mobility of joints, to relieve muscle tension and boost the amount of blood supply to tissues. They may also provide advice on posture and exercise in order to help patients recover faster and prevent problems occurring again.
Conditions treated may include babies with colic, toddlers with ear infections and teenagers and adults suffering from conditions ranging from back pain to circulatory problems.
Students on this program (Osteopaths) will be able to participate and do the following:
- Identifying imbalances within the musculoskeletal system.
- Facilitating the body’s ability to heal itself through stretching, massage, deep massage and gentle manipulation.
- Offering added exercise and health advice.
- Taking detailed case histories from new patients, including general health, specific symptoms and other details.
- Asking the patient to make a series of movements and assessing their general posture as well as checking for restrictions or tensions in joints or muscles.
- Undertaking physical examinations of patients by using a touch system (palpation) to identify any weak or strained areas of the body
- Taking a patient’s blood pressure and making other physical assessments as necessary.
- Planning and providing treatment by working with the hands using soft tissue techniques, gentle release techniques and other appropriate methods of treatment, such as cranial osteopathy.
- Working with treatment equipment including ultrasound machines, balance boards and percussion machines.
- Making lifestyle and dietary recommendations to patients, as required, regarding areas such as posture, eating, exercise and relaxation.