Back Pain in Perth – What is Osteopathy?

Osteopathy is a focused and direct therapy of treating damaged parts of the body such as muscles, ligaments, nerves and joints. When the body is balanced and efficient, just like a well-tuned engine, it will function with the minimum of wear and tear, leaving more energy for living.

Is osteopathy regulated?

The Statutory Register of the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) opened on 9th May 1998. The title “osteopath” became protected by law from 9th May 2000 when the transitional registration period ended.

As a result, it is a criminal offence, liable to prosecution, to describe oneself as an osteopath in the UK unless registered with the GOsC.

The GOsC regulates, promotes and develops the profession of osteopathy, and maintains the UK Statutory Register of Osteopaths. Only practitioners meeting the high standards of safety and competency are eligible to join this register. Proof of good health, good character and professional indemnity insurance cover is also a requirement.

For more information, visit the General Osteopathic Council website.

What should I expect when I visit the osteopath?

Your osteopath will firstly ask you a number of detailed questions about your past medical history. You will also be asked about work and hobbies, since habitual actions often result in stresses that can lead to injury. Your osteopath may ask questions which you might think are not directly related to your present condition. However, the answers to these questions enable your osteopath to determine whether this is the right treatment for you and, if so, to select the safest way of going about it.

Beware of any therapist:

• promoting an extended course of treatment before even assessing your condition,
• failing to monitor reaction to treatment,
• using gadgets such as muscle activity testers,
• advising expensive (dangerous) x-rays to assess condition, which should only be carried out at the request of a GP/specialist,
• selling an array of alleged cures in the form of supports.