Osteopathy is a way of detecting, treating and preventing health problems by moving, stretching and massaging a person’s muscles and joints.

Osteopathy is based on the principle that the wellbeing of an individual depends on their bones, muscles, ligaments and connective tissue functioning smoothly together.

Osteopaths use physical manipulation, stretching and massage with the aim of:

• Increasing mobility
• Relieving muscle tension
• Reducing pain
• Enhancing the blood supply to tissues
• Helping the body to heal

Each person gets different treatment because we consider lots of things, like how you sit, move, exercise and live. Osteopathy encourages you to take responsibility for your own long-term health and wellbeing, and can help you find out which lifestyle and environmental factors may be contributing to your condition.

Osteopathy is generally considered to be safe when you’re pregnant and can help ease common discomforts like back pain, pelvic pain, carpal tunnel, and sciatica.

If you ever want to stop or change the treatment during your session, just tell us right away. We’re here to work with you and your comfort levels. Consent is always obtained prior to and during treatment, and can be withdrawn at any time.

During treatment, how you lie down depends on the technique and how far along you are in your pregnancy.

In the beginning stage, lying on your stomach might be okay. But as your pregnancy progresses, you’ll mostly lie on your side, sit up, or sometimes lie on your back with a pillow under your right hip.

Although osteopathy is usually safe during pregnancy, if your pregnancy is high risk, it’s best to check with your doctor, midwife, or obstetrician before getting any manual therapy, including osteopathy.

Yes, osteopathy is generally considered safe for children and babies when performed by qualified practitioners experienced in paediatric osteopathy.

Adverse outcomes in babies, infants and children (aged under 12 years) resulting from manual therapy clinical management approaches are very rare, based over the many decades that records have been maintained on the issue (Hayes and Bezilla 2006; Todd et al 2014). Few babies, infants or children have experienced an adverse outcome in existing research (Humphreys 2010; Driehuis et al 2019).

Please note that our osteopaths do not use manipulation (the ‘cracking’ of joints) on any baby, infant or child.

Consent is always obtained prior to and during treatment, and can be withdrawn at any time.

The number of sessions needed varies depending on your individual condition, goals, and response to treatment.

During your initial consultation, your osteopath will assess your needs and develop a personalised treatment plan tailored to your specific requirements.

Typically, an adult might need 3-6 sessions over a period of several weeks, however if you have a longer term/chronic condition you may well require more sessions.

The ‘cracking techniques’ are some times used by osteopaths and are called manipulations.

Manipulations are sometime applied to the spinal joints to increase the range of movement and relax the deep muscles that cannot be reached by massage alone.

Osteopathic manipulation is only a small part of the treatment and is not required if you’d prefer not to receive osteopathic manipulation.

Some patients feel a little sore 24 – 48 hours after the treatment.

Many patients feel immediate relief from some of their symptoms but most conditions can take a few sessions to get back to normal.

It is advisable to try and rest the day of treatment.

You are welcome to wear whatever you feel comfortable in. However, we  recommend that you wear loose or comfortable clothing.

Alternatively, you can bring a pair of shorts and a vest to change into.

This is because we might need to to see if any other areas of your body might be related to your injury (for example, if lower back pain is related to poor hip function).

Osteopaths in the United Kingdom are regulated by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC). The GOsC sets standards for education, training, and practice, and it ensures that osteopaths adhere to a strict code of conduct and ethical guidelines. All our osteopaths are registered with the GOsC.