What is Osteopathic Manual Practice?

Whilst the training of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners & Osteopathic Physicians has the same origin in the work of Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, Osteopathic Manual Practitioners are not MDs - they are not trained in allopathic medicine but solely osteopathic manual treatment.

As the name indicates osteopathic physicians (American DOs) are medical doctors & as such are trained to prescribe drugs perform surgery, deliver babies & to have the prerequisites to specialize in other branches of medicine.

Osteopathic Manual Practice is NOT Chiropractic, Physical Therapy or a form of Massage Therapy.

​

It is the specialised hands-on treatment method that was Osteopathy's

primary emphasis when Drs of Osteopathy were originally trained in the USA & Europe. It is commonly practiced in Europe & Australasia and is less well known in the USA as only about 1% of USA trained DOs focus on this part of their training.

In the United States Medical students (American D.Os) have Osteopathy classes during the first two years of their medical school. In Europe & Australia in order to become an Osteopath (OMP) students go through full-time osteopathic training for 4 or 5 years, depending on the country.

Many techniques that are taught overseas are not part of the training of American Osteopaths. European & Australian practitioners have a very comprehensive training in Osteopathic Manual Practice besides receiving a similar training to medical students in anatomy, physiology, differential diagnosis etc without the pharmacology aspect as they do not prescribe medicines.

At the SoundBodyWellness we use a unique blend of customised treatment applied according to osteopathic philosophy that aims at treating the body in a truly wholistic fashion.
Our emphasis is on methods that are primarily neurological rather than mechanical, as in Pain Neutralization Technique. This approach encourages a 'resetting' of the nervous system towards normal and thereby helps to restore normal body function. Not only are these methods evidence based, but they are often very effective in producing a rapid & lasting results, besides being very gentle.
Treatment is always tailored to the individual after a thorough evaluation.

Osteopathic manual practitioners treat structural imbalance in the body, without the use  of drugs or surgery.
A healthy body depends on the smooth and effective operation of a finely tuned complex system of bones & joints, controlled and moved by muscles, and actuated by nerves.The bones & joints are surrounded by soft tissue containing the fluids of the circulatory system.
Changes in the delicate balance of this neuromusculoskeletal system & its circulatory components can result in impaired or altered functions within the body’s framework that include skeletal, joint, and myofascial structures, as well as related vascular, lymphatic and neural elements.
Unfortunately, the body becomes less resilient over time as the ability to efficiently self-regulate diminishes. Some of this loss may be due to the aging process, to the prolonged influence of gravity on posture, or to trauma, accident, illness, surgical scarring, childbirth, repetitive activity, or the cumulative effects of stress.
Often these changes happen gradually without producing obvious symptoms initially, merely a vague feeling of discomfort or being out of condition.
Osteopathy is concerned with restoring & maintaining the balance of this system,
and works with the body to enhance its inherent capacity to self-regulate and self-heal.
Manual osteopathy is a system of medicine, that uses the practitioners skilled hands and advanced anatomical knowledge to balance the body. This restores normal nerve and blood flow,  removes abnormal tensions and maximises the body's own healing mechanisms, allowing it to do its own work unimpeded. In doing so it alleviates pain and many other symptoms, while also preventing the onset of more serious conditions.
This approach to treatment is far more than simple bio-mechanic adjustment useful for the treatment of back pain and stiff necks. The body is perceived as an  integrated whole, and dysfunction in any given part may subtly influence activity in other areas. The purpose of Osteopathic evaluation is to enable the practitioner to identify structural problems that may be influencing joint movement, circulation of fluids, or nerve supply.
Osteopathic Manual Practice  eliminates or alleviates somatic dysfunction through hands-on manual treatment.
Mobilisation, Stretching, resistance, gentle pressure work  and light touch may be used to promote healing, stimulate the nervous system, reduce tension, recover from surgery, lower stress levels, increase mobility, and decrease inflammation.