MANUAL OSTEOPATHY TREATMENT IN MISSISSAUGA, ETOBICOKE, OAKVILLE & BURLINGTON

Manual Osteopathy is a form of hands on therapy that focuses on eliminating pain and restoring function by addressing the root cause of the pain, injury or imbalance. Manual osteopaths believe in the body’s natural ability to heal itself, and their role is to enhance and guide the body’s normal healing properties. The philosophy of osteopathy is based on the following principles:

1. The movement of body fluid is essential to the maintenance of health.
2. The nerves play a crucial role in controlling the fluids of the body.
3. The body is a unit.
4. Structure and function are interrelated.
5. The body is self-regulating.
6. The body is designed to defend and heal itself.
7. When the body’s ability to adapt is disrupted, the integrity of the internal environment is lost, and self-maintenance disintegrates.

Rational treatment is based on these principles.

When a person sees a manual osteopath at PhysioNow, the practitioner will assess the whole person, not just the painful area, to find the point(s) of restriction. Manual osteopaths understand that the sum is greater than the parts. They must understand all aspects of their patient including emotional, cognitive, spiritual and social systems. An initial assessment will begin with a detailed health history, followed by a postural and gait analysis as the manual osteopath looks for any imbalances or misalignments of the body. Manual palpation is used in conjunction with orthopaedic and neurological tests to get an idea of what the major issues are and to begin to form a treatment plan. It is important to conduct a head to toe analysis, as the primary cause of the ailment may not be where the person is experiencing the symptoms. A misalignment in one area of the body can lead to a chain reaction of compensations that ultimately ends up manifesting as pain in a completely different area. This shows how connected the body is, and how optimizing structural balance allows the body as a whole to function better.

Muscle energy techniques are used to stretch and lengthen tight muscles. Soft tissue techniques are used to release trigger points, reduce tone in a muscle or ligament, and stretch tight fascia. Osteopathic articular techniques are less forceful than joint manipulations and involve moving the surfaces of a joint relative to each other. This helps with mobility, pain, muscle spasms, and neurological irritations. Cranial osteopathy is used in treatment of the skull mainly, but the techniques may be used in other bony areas of the body including the spine or pelvis. The aim of cranial osteopathy is restoring optimal neurovascular flow for the nervous system, including all the important signaling centers in the brain. Finally, visceral manipulation is a technique that treats the internal organs through gentle pressure. This manipulation helps restore full movement, mobility, and function of the viscera.

The therapist will also assign corrective exercises that the client can do to help maintain the corrections achieved during the treatment. The main goal of applying these techniques is to put the body into proper alignment, correct imbalances, and allow for optimal range of motion. Since structure governs function, when the bone structures are in the correct position and the soft tissues are the proper length, the body is able to function as it was designed to do. Blood and lymphatic fluid are able to more freely circulate around the body and the nerves are able to fire properly as they are not being compressed by misaligned or tight structures. When this is achieved, the body is able to self-regulate and has the ability to defend and heal itself.

Are you covered by insurance?

Good news for our patients! More and more insurance providers have coverage for manual osteopathy. As always, this will vary by individual member, plan, and company so check and see what your benefits can get you! For more information on billing with PhysioNow, see our Fees and Finances page.

Book an appointment with Richard Haddad (DOMP) for a manual osteopathy treatment at PhysioNow today.