FAQs
Why choose Osteopathy?
Osteopathy treats the whole of the individual and respects and acknowledges the body’s capacity to heal itself. It is a gentle form of treatment and often sought out when all other modalities have failed to achieve results. Patients walk out with a better understanding of how their body works and how to maintain changes made with treatments. When Osteopathy is combined with the appropriate use of present day medical therapeutics, it provides a profound contribution to the practice of medicine. Osteopathic philosophy is simple and sensible and when applied in practice, can make considerable changes in a person's overall health and wellbeing.
What kinds of conditions can Osteopathy help with?
Osteopathy can help with many conditions. Improvement has been seen in: asthma, hypertension, migraine headaches, Bell’s Palsy, acid reflux, seizure disorders, ADHD, insomnia, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, Post-Concussion Syndrome, back and neck pain. These are only a few of the conditions Osteopathic Practitioners see and treat on a daily basis. A more extensive list can be found here.
What is Osteopathic training?
Fully qualified and registered Osteopathic Practitioners have a four-year fulltime post-graduate university degree or the equivalent, which is recognized in BC by the SPMPO, and in the UK by the General Osteopathic Council. We are primary care practitioners, who can assess a patient, form a diagnosis and treat what we find. We are also trained to know when a person needs to be referred for medical tests, or needs to see another type of health practitioner. We work with GPs and other allied medical professionals as part of your enhanced primary care team.
Do I need a GP referral?
No referral from your family doctor is required to see your Osteopathic Practitioner. However, please be aware that some insurance companies may require you to have your doctor’s referral if you want your Osteopathic treatment to be covered by them. Please refer to your individual policy for specific details.
At what age is it safe to have Osteopathic treatment?
Due to the gentle nature of Osteopathic treatments, we can treat newborns right through to the elderly.
Are you covered by insurance or MSP?
Osteopathic treatment is covered by most major insurance companies. Please check your policy to see if Osteopathy is included. Osteopathy is not currently covered by MSP in British Columbia.
How do I prepare for an Osteopathic treatment?
Please bring any X-rays, scans and or results of investigations. Wear whatever you feel most comfortable in as you will not be required to disrobe. Please arrive about 10-15 minutes prior to your initial scheduled visit in order to fill out the required health questionnaire. In the treatment of babies and children, families are always welcome in the treatment room. There are ample toys and books to keep little ones entertained.
How long does an Osteopathic treatment take?
Generally most treatments last between 30 and 45 minutes. Sometimes much quicker, and it is not uncommon for young children and infants to receive a complete treatment in under 30 minutes. The effects and benefits of the treatment can last weeks to months dependent on the overall health of the patient.
How quickly will I recover with Osteopathic treatment?
This is difficult to predict as it depends on the presenting complaint, the severity and complications of the complaint, the duration of the complaint, as well as how many and what kind of medications you have been taking. However, with this being said, many people begin to notice some change or benefit after one or two treatments. Each individual’s journey to healing and wellness is unique. Some patients notice great benefit and recovery after two treatments while others may take longer. Many practitioners like to begin with three treatments, with each session usually a week apart, and then re-evaluate. If we are seeing benefit and change, then we will continue with treatment; if we are not seeing some change or benefit after three treatments, we may consider other options or modalities to help the patient get well and recover.
How frequently do I need to be treated?
This again is evaluated on an individual basis, depending upon the illness, the age of the patient and the depth of the treatment. It is not uncommon to see a patient every one to two weeks for a couple of visits and then every four to six weeks as they are improving. In some pediatric cases, we may see them only once every one to three months.
What does an Osteopathic treatment feel like?
It depends on the type and style of treatment provided; generally people feel a light, gentle pressure that does not create any pain. Most people feel great relaxation and a sense of peace. Some report feeling heat, and various sensations such as tingling, or movement of subtle energy or random pulse-like sensations. Many people report feeling relaxed and peaceful for several days after a treatment. As long as you are not experiencing pain during the treatment, we are less concerned with what you feel during the treatment, and more concerned with the results and how you feel for days and weeks after the treatment.
What does it feel like for the Osteopathic Practitioner?
Throughout the whole of the body we can sense something else which is not ordinarily mentioned in anatomical-physiological texts. This is an overall tidal movement of the whole body which mimics an ebbing in and out. It is as if the whole body is functioning as a unit and is responding to a force similar to that moving the tides of the sea. It is the rhythmic movement within all fluids of the body. It is more powerful in its quiet way than any other physiological functioning. Melisa says it reminds her of what she would expect the Northern Lights to feel like.
How does the Osteopathic Practitioner receive such detailed information from a patient’s body?
The Osteopathic Practitioner synchronizes with the natural laws. The more the practitioner recognizes their own inner stillness, through their own personal relationship with their own health, the more is revealed. It is, as Dr. Rollin Becker said best, “be still and know.”
Do Osteopathic Practitioners do cranio-sacral therapy?
What many people do not realize is that cranio-sacral therapy comes from an extension of Osteopathy known as Osteopathy in the Cranial field or simply Cranial Osteopathy. Dr. Sutherland, D.O., was one of Dr. Still’s early students. After graduating from Osteopathic medical school, Dr. Sutherland spent 31 years of his life studying and trying to disprove his hypothesis that the cranial bones do in fact subtly move. In the end, he could not disprove his hypothesis, which resulted in Dr. Sutherland making many amazing and powerful discoveries about the cerebral spinal fluid, the human body and healing. Dr. Sutherland’s work has not only made a significant contribution to Osteopathy but also to humanity. The profession owes a great deal of gratitude to Dr. Sutherland for his insights and contributions, which have helped to ease the suffering of mankind and have allowed us to treat injuries and diseases that were previously untreatable. Before his death, Dr. Sutherland began to expand his knowledge of working with the cranium and cerebral spinal fluid to the entire body, and this has been continuously studied and built upon by his protégés and stands true to the oral traditions in the teachings of Osteopathy.
Cranial Osteopathy uses very skilled and precise palpation and sensing to treat the entire body, and to affect the deeper rhythms and movements with in the fluids, tissues and more subtle energy fields, which can often create very deep and longlasting healing and therapeutic effects.
Cranio-sacral therapy, on the other hand, is a very simplified and filtered version of a few of Dr. Sutherland’s ideas. It is taught to non-Osteopathic Practitioners to provide a relaxing therapy, and it is not a complete Osteopathic medical practice. The application and scope of cranio-sacral therapy is very limited in comparison to Cranial Osteopathy.