Osteopathy FAQ
Osteopathy is a powerful therapeutic tool available for your health toolbox. Don’t be fooled by its name, Osteopathy is more than just treating the bones. However, the bones are the most dependable of human tissue, a consistent reference point for the body to use and act on, as the osteopath observes with looking, listening and touching. Osteopathy is also looking at all other human tissue as well as its fluids, pressures, and energy (the physiological vitality). Osteopathic investigation is deeply rooted in the sciences of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and pathology. When choosing your therapeutic tools to support your healing, ask as many questions as necessary to clarify your needs. Here are some frequently asked questions answered. I encourage anyone who has more questions to please email me at isabelleosteopathy@gmail.com
When did Osteopathy come into existence in Quebec? Osteopathy in Quebec began in 1981 in Montreal.
What is osteopathy? Osteopathy in Quebec is exclusively manual (palpation with hands) with the objective to reestablish the functionality of all structures in the human body while favoring its inherent ability to autoregulate. Ok, so what does that all mean? Well first off, there are two streams of osteopathy.
The first is the medical stream of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons. This exists predominantly in the United States.
The other stream is the manual stream, predominantly existing in Canada and Europe. With extensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology, the Osteopath observes health first- the strength the body has to support healing. The blocks in health become obvious due to the lack of health in certain places be it in the structure (bones, and supporting tissues), and/or physiology (the function of organs, viscera, body systems). This information is gathered by the Osteopath with biomechanical and sensorial tests, looking and listening. When the blocks have been addressed, health can flow more efficiently, healing (with the body’s inherent autoregulatory mechanism) the body’s ailments.
What can I expect when I visit an Osteopath? When visiting an Osteopath for the first time, it begins with a medical history taking. I often start with the question ‘what got you here’ to see an osteopath. After gathering the medical and lifestyle information, standardized biomechanical tests and sensorial tests are done standing (in gravity), lying down (out of gravity) to get a clear picture of how the patient is presenting. Preliminary treatment begins, and a treatment plan is put into place. With follow up appointments, I often ask the question ‘how did you feel post treatment?’ Testing and some more discussion occur to get a clear picture of how the body is presenting. Treatment takes up most of the hour.
Do I need to see my Doctor first? It is very useful for the Osteopath if medical examinations are up to date i.e. blood/urine/stool tests, X-rays/CT scans/MRI’s,etc… You do not need a referral from your Doctor to see and Osteopath, but there are more and more Doctors that suggest Osteopathy.
