subject: Osteopathy Practitioner [print this page] Many aspects of treatment by an osteopath and a chiropractor are similar. A number of the diagnostic techniques that they use are the same, testing your blood pressure and reflexes, taking x-rays and observing your posture. However, an osteopath will pay close attention to your body to make sure that it is symmetrical. He or she will look at the lengths of your legs to see if they are the same and examine your hips to see if they tilt to one side or not. You will be asked to lie on a couch and much of the session will be taken up with work on the skin, muscles and connective tissue of your body, with you lying on your side, back or front. Techniques employed by an osteopath include massage to relax the stiff muscles, stretching, to help the joint mobility, and manipulation or high velocity thrusting, which can easily restore the easy movement to our body. Sometimes the practitioner will use indirect techniques, which involve light touching and gentle positioning of the joints to reduce tension and restore balance. One session may be enough to restore your health, but if you have a chronic problem then you will need more. Three to six sessions are average and many people benefit from going for a top up session every few months. Still not only treated musculoskeletal problems but also tackled tuberculosis, gall stones, epilepsy and tumors. In 1892, he set up a school of osteopathy in Kirksville, Missouri, and wrote down his technique in the osteopathic blue book. Osteopaths apply the same principle to children as to adults, but the treatment is usually much gentler.
