Osteopathy is a highly effective modern and progressive form of healthcare that focuses on the diagnosis, management, treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal and other related disorders.
What can Osteopathy treat?
Some of the most common reasons for getting help from an osteopath include:
Head, neck and back pain
- General, acute & chronic back pain
- Sciatica
- Mechanical neck pain
- Headaches arising from the neck (cervicogenic headaches)
- Migraine prevention
- Postural problems
Joint pain
- Generalised aches and pains
- Arthritic pain
- Rheumatic pain
- Frozen shoulder
- Shoulder and elbow pain
- Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
- Hip and knee pain from osteoarthritis
Other health problems
- Neuralgia
- Muscle spasms
- Minor sports injuries and tensions
- Cramp
- Fibromyalgia
- Circulatory problems
- Digestion problems
- Tension and inability to relax
- Occupational ergonomic tensions
However, many of our clients have found that visiting an osteopath is helpful for many other conditions.
Patients often return a couple of times a year to prevent ergonomic patterns from reoccurring, or choose to get osteopathic treatment after an accident or minor injury which may minimise potential long-term damaging effects. Others find osteopathy supportive with ongoing illnesses (sometimes alongside medical treatments) and maintaining their well-being.
' Jeni and Sam are both highly skilled professionals and I would give them 6 stars if I could. After 20 years of back pain, I only wish I had known about them sooner. '
What do Osteopaths do?
At the Courtyard Osteopaths in Bristol, we aim to identify and treat the underlying causes of your symptoms. By using our extensive knowledge of body mechanics, diagnosis and highly developed palpatory skills we aim to:
- Restore structural imbalances in your body
- Release and relax your muscles
- Stretch and ease stiff joints
- Improve your posture
- Help prevent your symptoms from returning
Osteopaths are highly trained and skilled in an extensive variety of safe, gentle and effective techniques including:
- Releasing and relaxing muscles via massage
- Stretching stiff joints
- Rhythmic joint movements (articulations)
- Muscle release methods
- Very gentle cranial osteopathy techniques
' I then started to see Sally myself for migraines and she has been absolutely amazing on so many levels… All in all I'd give her 100 stars if I could! '
What else do osteopaths do?
During your osteopathy session we usually also provide some of the following to aid and support you in your recovery:
- A full biomechanical assessment of your body
- A postural assessment
- Ergonomic advice on
- Computer use and work stations
- Correct lifting techniques
- Handling and holding positions for newborns and toddlers
- Support you managing your health, including after illness and operations
- Suggest helpful stretches and exercises
- Advice to help you reach your goals, reduce stress and improve your lifestyle
' I have been in chronic pain of varying degrees for nearly a year and after MRI, loads of pain medication, increased stretching and sports massage, there really wasn’t much difference... after about 5 sessions with Sam, I have experienced my first 2 weeks in ages without the aching and debilitating stiffness that I have had every morning. When I first realised I wasn’t in pain, I couldn’t take the smile off my face as there have been times when I thought I would not feel this way again! '
How do osteopaths work?
Osteopathic training enables us to work with the relationship between the structure and function of the body. Rather than treat conditions and symptoms, we consider what tensions are restricting a person’s health and focus on releasing them.
The body is largely made of connective tissues (bones, muscles, ligaments, fascia, blood vessels – even internal organs are specialised connective tissues) and water. The connective tissues are continuous throughout the body and, when healthy, are maintained in a state of balance.
Sometimes patterns of tension arise in these tissues which, if the body is unable to resolve can cause symptoms. Our aim is to release these tensions, using specific osteopathic techniques to enable each cell in the body to receive a good blood and nerve supply as well as immune support. This helps to relieve many symptoms of conditions and restore health and well being.
' The therapists here have moved my health on from not manageable at times to ‘living a normal life again’. THANK YOU JENI & SAM '