Osteopathic Manual Treatment

There are 3 osteopathic principles at the core of practice:

1. The body is a unit, all systems are interconnected.

2. Structure governs function.

3. The body is self-healing and self-regulating.

These rules guide the practitioner to look behind symptoms every time, to discover the cause of the dysfunction, ensuring osteopathy is preventive as well as therapeutic.

An osteopathic manual practitioner is a healthcare provider skilled in assessing and treating the body using hands-on techniques. Their work is premised on the understanding that the body is a system—the bones, muscles, joints, fascia, nerves, circulation, and organs are all interconnected and influence one another. Rather than chasing symptoms, osteopathy seeks to uncover the mechanical causes of pain and dysfunction and to restore balance so that the body can be free to heal itself, as it is designed to.

The role of an osteopathic manual practitioner

From observing movement, restriction, and the relationship between structure and function, to understanding biomechanics, an osteopathic manual practitioner assesses with palpation, listening to the body through gentle touch. Therapies may include light adjustments, soft tissue techniques, movement therapies, and gentle structural adjustments that can assist with alignment, circulation and mobility.

Osteopathic manual practitioners treat patients entirely manually. They do not administer medications, or use machines, unlike many other machine-based, pharmaceutical-based or exercise-based professions. This makes osteopathy particularly ideal for those seeking safe, natural, and holistic health options.

Areas of care

Patients frequently choose osteopathy for various reasons, including:

• Back, neck, and joint pain

• Headaches and migraines

• Sports and workplace injuries

• Posture-strain and repetitive stress concerns

• Digestive, circulatory or respiratory issues associated with structural imbalance

• Stress-related tension and fatigue

• Etc.

Since the goal of osteopathy is to support the individual as a whole, and not just look at isolated symptoms, patients often find themselves feeling better in more areas than the one they first sought help for, like better energy, better sleep, and better mood.

Osteopathy is rooted in the philosophy that the body functions as a dynamic unit, in which the assessment and treatment process should approach the body holistically, never seeing an area of the body as separate from the whole. Osteopathy works with the self-healing mechanisms innate within the body, considering the coordination of the nervous system and physiological processes over the course of a lifetime. Treatment is always guided by the restoration of health and supporting resilience, rather than being dictated by symptoms or protocols. Osteopathic manual practitioners treat entirely manually, without the use of machines, pharmaceuticals, or exercises.

Yes, I am certified through Osteopathy Canada (OSTCAN), which recognizes my educational standards, professional standards, and standards of practice across Canada. My education and training was completed through the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy, a rigorous program qualified as a Type 1 program as established by the World Health Organization benchmarks for osteopathy.

The World Health Organization establishes benchmarks for international standards, in which Type 1 programs require 4200 hours of training and 1000 hours of supervised clinical practice, whereas Type 2 programs are modified programs of approximately 1000 hours. My training exceeded the 4200 hour requirement, along with over 1500 hours of supervised clinical practice, rooted in principle-based learning and application of osteopathy.

No, osteopathy is not a legislated profession, which comes with advantages and disadvantages. It is important for you to find a practitioner suitable for you. My approach uses no cracking or abrupt motions, patients remain clothed, and all work is non-invasive.

Osteopathy is ideal for those seeking safe, natural, and holistic health care. It is not to replace a medical doctor, and it is recommended to have a primary health care provider (i.e. family doctor, nurse practitioner) as part of your health care team. Part of osteopathic assessment is to scan for red flags that may indicate reason for a person to be unsafe to treat. In such cases, medical follow-up and/or referral out may be required until receiving clearance for osteopathic treatment. Your safety is a priority and will be discussed at the beginning of every treatment.

Children and teenagers are often highly responsive to treatment, as age, constitution and vitality are to their advantage. Seeking treatment early is supportive of a preventative health care approach.

Seniors benefit from osteopathic treatment, especially for health maintenance. It is also a gentle, holistic approach to work in combination with other health care providers.

If you are pregnant, it is typically advised to wait until after 1st trimester for osteopathic treatment.

If you’ve recently been in an accident, depending on the nature of the injury, it may be required to receive medical follow up and clearance for osteopathic treatment. This will be determined on a case by case situation. Osteopathy provides opportunity to support the body’s global healing capacity without necessarily treating the specifically injured tissues. It is also effective at addressing compensations acquired from the injury.

The nervous system is continuously receiving, filtering, and interpreting sensory input. Osteopathy works with the nervous system to recalibrate input and output, helping to restore accuracy to signalling and response. A gentle approach is appeasing to the nervous system, conducive to restoring health. As all systems in the body work as a collaborative network, a precise shift can lead to a cascade of responses in the direction of improved health.

It is common to experience mild, temporary side effects, usually within 24-48 hours. This may include fatigue, headache, soreness, muscle or joint discomfort. In some cases, pain and sensation may increase as part of the healing process. After treatment, it is importing to avoid strenuous activity as the body needs time to adjust and integrate treatment. Rest is important, especially sleep. Side effects from treatment vary from person to person, and will be discussed with you specifically during your visit.

Pain in one area is often caused by tension or imbalance somewhere else. Osteopathy treats the body as a whole, not separate parts. The body functions as a dynamic unit, and does not experience anything in parts separate from the whole. As such, osteopathy addresses the body through mechanical balancing, informed by anatomical and physiologic knowledge.

The course of a treatment process varies case by case. Appropriate dosage of treatment and what happens between treatments (i.e. activity, rest, stress, change in routine) influence treatment results. Some people experience change as sudden and gradual, and for others it can be quick and obvious. What’s important is that the body integrates and stabilizes change, so that your expressions of health become more noticeable. If you do not start seeing results within 6-8 treatments, we will re-evaluate your case and determine an appropriate course of action.

Sessions are not based on time, but they typically are complete within 20 minutes. Each session is individualized and includes cycles of assessment, treatment, and reassessment.

The structure of the whole treatment process (multiple sessions) will be devised specifically for you so you can get the best possible results. Treatment is based on mechanical and physiological responses, in which precision, efficacy, and avoiding overstimulation is valued. The length of a treatment process (number of sessions) will vary from person to person. 

An osteopathic treatment process works over time, in which the body integrates treatment and responds to changes between sessions. The goal is to encourage stabilization, to not become dependant on treatments or have recurring symptoms.

While every person is different… some may benefit from very short sessions more often, while others do better with longer sessions spaced further apart…  we’ve found that 20-minute sessions work best for most people after the first visit.

Cost is charged per treatment session, not for the time spent on the table.

During your first visit, we will go over your health history, treatment expectations and goals. We will discuss the nature of osteopathy, treatment process, commitment and variability. We will then continue with the manual treatment component, establishing a baseline for subsequent treatments.

Each session will involve cycles of assessment, treatment, and reassessment. The practitioner works in close contact, using gentle touch. You remain clothed for treatment. There is no use of deliberate cracking techniques, or invasive techniques. Treatment may take place standing, seated, or lying on the back, front, or side. Sessions are not based on time, but they typically are complete within 20 minutes.

No, prescribing exercises is not within the scope of practice for osteopathic manual practitioners. As osteopathy works to improve the coordination between the involuntary and voluntary nervous systems, as your body adjusts and integrates treatment, your movements in every day life will become more efficient. This will have an impact on overall energy, strength, and mobility. In other words, simply coming in for treatments will make a difference on its own.

Please arrive to your appointment early to best support your nervous system’s ability to participate in treatment. Please wear clean, loose or unrestrictive clothing.