OUR EXPERTISE IN OSTEOPATHY
Our experienced osteopaths, specializing in musculoskeletal disorders, are here to alleviate your pain and discomfort.
WHAT IS OSTEOPATHY?
Osteopathy is a natural medicine founded in 1874, in the United States, by Andrew Taylor Still, surgeon. This approach focuses on restoring the body’s balance by addressing the root causes of pain and functional disorders.
The osteopath’s goal is to reestablish the overall mechanical balance of the body, drawing upon human anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics, thereby enabling the patient to get back self-regulation.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OSTEOPATHY
- What does osteopathy treat?
- WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF OSTEOPATHY?
- WHO IS OSTEOPATHY FOR?
- WHEN TO SEEK AN OSTEOPATHIC APPOINTMENT? / WHAT SYMPTOMS WARRANT A CONSULTATION WITH AN OSTEOPATH?
- WHY CHOOSE OSTEOPATHY OVER PHYSIOTHERAPY?
- WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT DURING AN OSTEOPATHY SESSION?
- WHAT ARE THE PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF OUR OSTEOPATHS AT PHYSIO-OSTÉO GLOBALITÉ?
- CAN AN OSTEOPATH PRACTICE POSTUROLOGY AND WHAT DOES IT CONSIST OF?
- DO INSURANCE PLANS COVER OSTEOPATHIC SESSIONS?
1. WHAT DOES OSTEOPATHY TREAT?
Osteopathy treats all types of pain of neuro-musculoskeletal origin.
Osteopathy addresses the various systems of the human body, enabling patients to self-regulate and enhance the function of different systems, including the neuro-musculoskeletal, visceral, or cranial systems, while considering the individual patient’s unique characteristics and condition.
2. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF OSTEOPATHY?
Osteopathy helps relieve pain mainly resulting from a neuro-musculoskeletal problem and reduce tension or joint stiffness. In addition, it proves to be an excellent preventive therapy. It is often popular for pregnancy and birth follow-ups.
The benefits of osteopathy:
- Provides relief from pain originating from various sources or causes
- Decreased muscle tension
- Preparing the body for a sporting event to optimize performance
- Prevention of pain or injury by potentiating resilience and tissue mobility
- Relief of pain that appears suddenly or that is several months or even years old
- Improved joint mobility
- Promoting an individual’s return to an active life
- Improved overall health
3. WHO IS OSTEOPATHY FOR?
Osteopathy is recommended for individuals of all ages, including infants and pregnant women, both as a preventive measure and as a therapeutic treatment.
It can be highly beneficial following incidents such as car accidents (SAAQ), workplace accidents (CNESST), falls, or for various medical conditions.
4. WHEN TO CONSULT FOR AN OSTEOPATHIC APPOINTMENT? FOR WHAT SYMPTOMS SHOULD AN OSTEOPATH BE CONSULTED?
The primary reason for seeking osteopathic care often relates to pain. If you’ve been experiencing discomfort for two weeks or if it has intensified following an event, it’s advisable to schedule a consultation. This proactive approach can help address the issue promptly and prevent the spread of pain to other parts of the body due to compensatory movements.
As for the frequency of osteopathic consultations?
Individuals with sedentary jobs, such as office workers, are encouraged to consult with an osteopath once a year to prevent the development of pain or discomfort.
On the other hand, those engaged in physically demanding roles with repetitive or high-intensity movements, such as construction workers, firefighters, paramedics, police officers, or athletes, are recommended to have monthly appointments to maintain their physical well-being and manage the demands of their professions.
Our body and our car… Same fight?
To help our customers better understand the concept of prevention in osteopathy, we often draw a parallel with a car. Generally, we subject our vehicle to periodic maintenance to ensure our safety and avoid breaking down on the road. Unfortunately, people tend to tolerate their pain for months before consulting a specialist, convincing themselves that the problem will resolve itself. The result? They call our osteopaths urgently, because they’v put out their backs, are bedridden and are no longer able to carry out the activities of daily and professional life.
To determine the necessary frequency of preventive appointments, let’s go back to the parallel of the car. If you drive 20,000 km per year, you will visit your garage more often than someone who only travels 5,000 km per year. It’s a bit the same principle with the human body, except that we only have one body, and the parts are not replaceable! Thus, it’s better to take care of it and promote prevention.
In short, you can consult an osteopath following an injury, trauma or prevention as soon as an event causes you pain or if your discomfort lasts beyond 2 weeks.
5. WHY CHOOSE OSTEOPATHY OVER PHYSIOTHERAPY?
Both disciplines fall within the field of manual therapies.
The purpose of physiotherapy is to assess muscle imbalances (joint and neurological) and ensure the strengthening and stability of the body through specific exercises and manual therapies.
As for osteopathy, this adopts a more global philosophy of the body. In this way, the therapist looks for the inherent cause of the problem that is not always localized. It aims to restore maximum mobility in the structures of the body and reduce muscle tension.
Overall, both therapies have proven to be effective. Moreover, it is not uncommon for professionals to work in multidisciplinary collaboration to help the patient recover as quickly and efficiently as possible.
6. WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT DURING AN OSTEOPATHY SESSION?
Osteopathy is a professional first-line intervention that involves several essential stages:
First Step: Determine the Direction of Treatment
The initial phase involves the osteopath understanding the reason for your consultation and your objectives. This helps in defining the treatment’s direction.
Second Step: Evaluation
Following the initial discussion, the osteopath will conduct a comprehensive health assessment. This assessment aims to establish an overall understanding of your health status, rule out any medical emergencies, and, if necessary, refer you to another healthcare professional. Additionally, the osteopath will inquire about your medical history, including any surgical procedures, injuries, or previous health conditions that may be relevant to your current condition.
Step Three: Identifying the Problem Area
Subsequently, the osteopath will perform a thorough evaluation of tissue mobility and physiological rhythms. This assessment helps pinpoint specific problem areas that require treatment to alleviate your symptoms and address the root cause of the issue.
Before concluding the session…
During the same session, the osteopath will initiate treatment based on osteopathic principles and methods. Additionally, you will receive guidance on lifestyle adjustments and appropriate exercises. These recommendations are designed to reinforce the results of the treatment and minimize the risk of recurrence in the long term.
7. WHAT ARE THE PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF OUR OSTEOPATHS AT PHYSIO-OSTÉO GLOBALITÉ?
The osteopaths of Physio-Ostéo Globalité are all graduates of the Collège d’Études Ostéopathiques de Montréal (CEOM), which is the first osteopathic school in Canada. Founded in 1981, it trains about 70% of osteopaths in Quebec.
The program teaches best practices in osteopathy and follows the recommendations of the World Health Organization. Our osteopaths regularly provide high-quality continuing education to stay abreast of new therapeutic developments and scientific advances in our fields.
8. AN AN OSTEOPATH PRACTICE POSTUROLOGY AND WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?
Posturology is a podiatrist’s specialization that detects balance and posture disorders by evaluating the feet. Since it is a podiatric specialization, the osteopath is not able to practice this discipline.
During the evaluation, the osteopath can also analyze your posture to identify any motor difficulties within the body. This analysis allows the osteopath to provide valuable guidance and recommendations to help you address posture-related issues.
9. DO INSURANCE PLANS COVER OSTEOPATHIC SESSIONS?
Osteopathic treatments can be covered by private insurance. Just check with your insurance plan to see if the sessions are covered.