What is Osteopathy?

Osteopathy is a holistic approach to healthcare that emphasizes the role of the musculoskeletal system in the prevention and treatment of disease.

It is centred round the skillful use of palpation to identify areas of imbalance and dysfunction within the body and uses a wide range of manual and physical techniques to facilitate the body’s own inherent ability to heal itself.

Its practice is still firmly underpinned by the principles of Andrew Taylor Still who founded osteopathy in 1874.

Regulation

Our profession has been subject to statutory regulation since the passing of the Osteopathy Act in 1993 and it is the role of The General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) to regulate and develop our profession to maintain the health and wellbeing of the public.

In 1998 the Statutory Register was opened and it later became an offence to describe oneself as an osteopath unless registered with the GOsC.

All registered practitioners have to have gained a 4-5 year degree in osteopathy, adhere to a strict code of practice and update their knowledge with a minimum of 30 hours of extra tuition on a yearly basis through accredited courses as part of our Continued Professional Development.

What does it treat?