What is an Osteopath?

     Osteopaths know the body and diagnose by listening to the patients   problem and by the skilled use of touch.

Osteopaths are similar to mechanics except that they fix bodies and not cars. The wiring of the body is its nerves  and the fluid system of the body is its lymph and blood supply. Osteopaths  understand  how the body gets into trouble and are skilled at discovering the source of a problem...Hopefully an osteopath  will  also be able to see you as a person rather than just a set of muscles and bones, this is important because,  unlike cars,  human beings are  unique with different circumstances affecting their lives.When you come to see me I will ask you questions about what you do at work, how far you drive,what your hobbies are-this is because I need to gain a good overall picture of you and how you use your body in daily life. 

 Osteopaths are familiar with the anatomy and physiology of the body and should be  able to relate symptoms such as a headache or pain in the knee or a sciatica to a structure in the body such as a muscle or a joint that may not be working properly.We work by locating the stiff joints or tight muscles that are blocking the supply of blood or nerve impulse and then gently relaxing those areas to restore normality. This explains why we may treat your neck to affect your elbow!

This  relationship between structure and function applies also to the workings of the bodily organs - for example the bladder or the stomach may be irritated by an interruption in their nerve supply caused by say a twisted vertebra in the back pressing on a particular nerve. Osteopaths treat everyone they can  get their hands on - from babies to grandads!