Osteopathy is a ‘whole body’ system of manual medicine, this has been in practice for over 100 years! This system utilizes unique biomechanical principles to treat musculoskeletal problems and other functional disorders of the body. It was developed in the 1870’s by an American physician, Dr Andrew Taylor Still, who recognised the body to be equipped with everything necessary to heal itself and in doing so derived four key principles on which to base the philosophy of Osteopathic treatment:

• The body is a single unit of mind, body and spirit
• Structure and function are interrelated
• The body is capable of healing and regulating itself
• Treatment is based on the above three principles

In Australia, Osteopaths are recognised as primary health care providers and are trained to recognise conditions that require referral to medical practitioners or other allied health. Osteopathic university graduates hold either a double Bachelors or Master qualification. They complete a minimum of five years university training in anatomy, physiology, pathology, general medical diagnosis and osteopathic techniques to enable them to perform standard medical examinations of the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems.

Osteopaths are required by Australian law, to maintain ongoing professional development and education every year to stay in practice. In Australia, all osteopaths are required to be government registered practitioners. If an osteopath does not appear on this register they should not practice. The register can be found at: http://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registers-of-Practitioners.aspx

People attend an Osteopath, when they experience long term (chronic) and short term (acute) problems, like the examples below:

• postural issues
• neck or back pain
• weight bearing issues
• muscular sprains and strains
• shoulder or elbow pain
• scoliosis
• tendon problems
• leg pain
• sciatica
• balancing and walking issues
• sports injuries
• arthritis
• osteoporosis
• headaches and migraines

YOU might be able to ask your Osteopath for information any other health concerns or for a general check-up.

Our Resilient Health team consistently update knowledge and techniques both in house and in post-graduate training courses. We LOVE to learn!

Osteopathic treatment is non-invasive and patient-centric to facilitate ease of movement of, and integration between, the tissues of the body. We do this largely through helping patients to be free from inappropriate physical restrictions and tension patterns within the “whole body system”.  Osteopaths and the World Health Organisation (WHO) defines these restrictions and tension patterns as Somatic Dysfunction: the impaired or altered function of the body framework and all it's associated parts including muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, connective tissue and organs.

Osteopathy at Resilient Health in Adelaide, incorporates a holistic approach whereby the entire body is examined, and not just the area of pain/dysfunction in order to understand what the patient’s system is doing to heal itself, and what can be done to facilitate this. It also aims to aid in dealing with the complex interplay of all of the patient’s tissues, systems, and broader environment, rather than overly emphasising one specific part or aspect.

Resilient Health Osteopaths are unique in that they use a variety of hands on techniques. This, combined with our passion to treat patients as individuals first, before seeing them as members of a disease/injury classification, means that techniques are chosen specifically for the needs of each individual depending on their complaint and preference of treatment methods.

The expansive range of hands-on techniques of our Osteopaths, combined with their 5 years of University training, and our ongoing post-graduate study ensures we have a large skillset we can draw from in order to support our Resilient Health patient community from newborn babies through to the elderly.

These techniques may include, but are not limited to:

Massage
Osteopaths use soft tissue manipulations such as massaging the muscles in a direct way (similar to manual therapy), as well as an indirect way, such as using your breath or specific positioning to release particular muscle groups or joints.

Therapeutic dry needling techniques
This involves inserting ‘dry’ needles (ie. those without any medication or injection) into the skin at various locations for therapeutic gain. Clinical trials have shown that needling alone or in combination with manual therapy and/or clinical exercise may provide some relief of pain and tension for people with migraines and jaw joint pain, and those with shoulder, low back, upper back and neck pain without complicating factors. Needling may also provide pain relief in people with tendinopathies and osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. At Resilient Health, Dr Mel Pierlot offers this technique.

Manipulation
These are techniques where you may hear the audible manipulation of joints using a high-velocity but low-amplitude thrust. Osteopaths (and Chiropractors) are university trained at using these techniques, screening for their appropriate use and for alternative techniques to use if you are not comfortable with “clicking” noises. They can be used for the spine and for the peripheral joints/appendicular (arms and legs).

Stretching
Our Resilient Health Osteopaths incorporate active (you doing them) and passive (osteopath doing them) stretching into their treatment and management plans. The overarching aim is to help the body tissues to move and reduce restrictions that might be evident because of previous or current injury, ergonomics (work, sport or pregnancy-related), or compensations or protective behaviours you may have developed over time.

Articulation
Rhythmic/repetitive movements of the joints of the body, aimed at targeting the soft tissues and vessels involved in the joints. Osteopaths use this technique to encourage tissue symmetry around a joint by encouraging the joint surfaces to move against each other, which encourages fluid movement in and around the joint and the soft tissues. Articulation can temporarily help to reduce protective behaviour caused by the neural feedback from pain or injury and is generally combined with other osteopathic techniques and your case discussion with your Resilient Health Osteopath.

Muscle Energy technique (MET)
A range of techniques used to encourage muscles to work against resistance are be used by our Resilient Health Osteopaths as a way to help the body tissues to move and reduce restrictions that might be evident as a result of previous or current injury, ergonomics (work, sport or pregnancy-related), or compensations or protective behaviours you may have developed over time. This technique can be used for the spine and the appendicular areas (rest of the body’s joints) and involve many different muscle activations: concentric, isometric or eccentric muscle contraction.

Myofascial release
Application of low-load, long- duration manual force applied to muscles and myofascia. The myofascia is the “clingwrap” or tissue matrix that supports the body’s organs, vessels, muscles and skeletons, as well as the nervous system. Anatomical evidence suggests that the nerves and vessels travel in the myofascial system, which is continuous throughout the body (i.e. imagine this is like the whites of an orange). Osteopaths may target this system to remove restrictions in the body’s soft/connective tissues to encourage a a reduction in “pain-causing” neural signalling (nociception), fluid movement, circulation, and help to correct altered biomechanics.

Similar techniques that our Resilient Health Osteopaths also use may include: Balanced ligamentous/membranous tension techniques, visceral manipulation and functional techniques

Balanced ligamentous/membranous tension techniques

Small joint movements aimed at targeting the ligaments involved in the joints. Osteopaths use this technique to encourage tissue symmetry around a joint by encouraging the evening of tone of the supporting ligaments to the joints (BLT) or the supporting membranes of the skull, or the thoracic diaphragm, which encourages fluid movement in and around the joint and to the soft tissues.

Visceral manipulation
Movement of the abdominal and pelvic areas with an organ focus involves the myofascia, that is, the “clingwrap” or tissue matrix that supports the body’s organs, vessels, muscles and skeletons, as well as the nervous system. The body’s organ and nervous systems are interrelated and by using their anatomical knowledge, osteopaths can screen for organ-related issues, and to address these issues in their treatment.

Functional techniques
Small movements aimed at targeting the connective tissues including the myofascial system and thereby the nervous system. Functional techniques can help to remove restrictions in the body’s soft/connective tissues to encourage fluid movement, circulation, and help to correct altered organ function and biomechanics.

Strain/Counterstrain
Using their anatomical and physiological knowledge that the body’s musculoskeletal and nervous systems are interrelated, our Resilient Health Osteopaths can use this technique to reduce the nerve feedback that can keep muscles tight. It is a passive technique, where you will be placed in a position in which the target muscle is able to relax. This then allows the neural feedback to reduce; next the osteopath will place your limb (for example) back to the starting position. These techniques also have a positive impact on the myofascia, that is, the “clingwrap” or tissue matrix that supports the body’s organs, vessels, muscles and skeletons, as well as the nervous system.
Similar techniques may include: facilitated positional release.

Chapmans reflexes
Resilient Health Osteopaths are trained in these points as diagnostic and therapeutic, meaning they can use these in combination to your case history and presenting pain to screen the sensitivity of organs and your neuro-musculoskeletal system. They can be used to improve the overall functioning of your lymphatic system by reducing congestion and  to improve the organ/body tissues relationship by way of your sympathetic nervous system.

Osteopathy may help with a variety of medical conditions, including:

• Interview, with thorough history taking.
  Your osteopath will ask about your problem and symptoms as well as your medical history, any medications you are taking or other factors that may not appear to be directly related to your problem. Your osteopath will advise you if they can treat you or you need to be referred.
  
  Osteopaths vary in how widely they think about underlying causes; many will consider habitual patterns of body use, psychosocial factors, nutritional factors, past injuries, traumas and illnesses.

• Observation and movement analysis and examination primarily touch (or “palpation”):
  This involves in-clinic diagnostic and screening tests, orthopedic or neurological tests, postural assessments and activities or exercises, which will help determine how best to manage your condition. The examination may include passive and active movements where the osteopath may lift your arms or legs and you may be asked to bend over or stand for observation. Be sure to wear comfortable, flexible and appropriate clothing.
  Because osteopaths seek to treat the underlying causes of ill health, diagnosis isn’t just a one-off event, but can be a process that continues during the treatment; as different issues are resolved, other underlying causes can become apparent.

• Diagnostic imaging where appropriate.
  If required you may be sent for x-rays or referred to your GP or sports physician for a second opinion.

• Your Osteopath will provide explanations of what seems to be happening and why (which can be particularly relevant to pain perception). They ask: “how would a body normally resolve this problem; and what is blocking that from happening in this individual at this time?”

• Primarily manual treatment using a range of techniques from different modalities.
  Your Osteopath will use the information you have given in your consultation to prescribe a treatment plan that addresses not just the site of pain, but all of the other areas of the body and associated tissues that may be involved. The plan will include attention not just to the joints and their associated soft tissues, but also to the blood supply to the affected areas, the lymphatic drainage and nerve supply in order to include all those factors which will affect the success of healing. It is this "whole body, multi-system" approach that has been the basis of Osteopathy’s success over the last century.
  
  Treatment is highly interactive, and so different practitioners develop their own preferences about which modalities they use more frequently. The techniques overlap those used by other manual or manipulative therapies, but the combination and the approach to clinical reasoning creates a whole greater than the sum of the parts.

• Individualised exercise programs based on functional outcomes, as well as postural and ergonomic advice, or advice on lifestyle in general.
  Your osteopath may also provide education and advice to help you manage your condition between treatments. This may include giving you exercises to do at home for stretching or strengthening, or how to achieve a more ergonomic workstation, to maintain a more positive posture and aim to prevent re-injury/re-aggravation.

** People often find it beneficial to have regular treatments in order to maintain their flexibility and relieve pain. Or use Osteopathy as an adjunct to their regular modality of treatment.