Osteopathy is an established system of diagnosis and treatment which places special emphasis on the structural and mechanical problems of the body. It seeks to overcome a wide range of conditions, disabilities and pains, that result from disturbances of the body's framework and moving parts.

Osteopaths view the patient as a 'whole' and as individuals and examinations and treatments are designed with a holisitc perspective in mind.

Any pain is a symptom of an underlying problem and should be diagnosed and where appropriate treated with Osteopathy. The most commonly treated conditions are:

• Back pain - e.g. sciatica, slipped disc / trapped nerve
• Headaches / Migraine
• Joint pains - e.g. arthritis in hands, hips, knees etc
• Muscle and ligament strains
• Neck and shoulder pains
• "Frozen Shoulder" and "Tennis Elbow"
  
• Sporting injuries
• Structural problems in pregnancy
• "Whiplash injuries"
• Poor work posture and its related problems

Osteopaths work with their hands using a wide range of techniques such as:

• soft tissue / massage type techniques
• stretches to soft tissues and joints
• gentle articulation and mobilisation of joints
• manipulation of joints
• slow release techniques
• condition specific home exercises
  

The Osteopath's job is to diagnose and treat faults that occur in the mechanical system due to injury, stress or any other cause, and to ensure that the body is functioning as efficiently as possible

It is the Osteopath's comprehensive, approach to healthcare that makes treatment unique. Osteopaths do not look on patients simply as back sufferers but as individuals with their own unique requirements for health. Treatment is designed to correct each individual's mechanical problems in order to stimulate their own natural healing processes. Osteopaths look at all the factors contributing to a disturbed state of natural health.

The clinic osteopaths will be able to treat not only the symptoms of your condition, but also find and resolve the original cause. This will leave the spine and any other joints in the very best condition possible to ensure that the body functions optimally.

A caring approach and attention to your individual needs are especially important, making osteopathy by far the most established, respected and utilised of all complementary therapies.

The body has a fantastic ability to heal itself. However, if this ability is compromised due to age or injury it will do the best job it can. In such cases the body will make adjustments and compensations to adapt to the condition. This will help the person cope in the short term, but will eventually lead to greater problems (due to stresses on other parts of the body) in the future if left unresolved.