Frequently Asked Questions
Osteopathy has one of the best safety records of any medically related professions. It respects responses from the body during and after treatment, and adjusts accordingly. Osteopaths are highly trained to recognize any condition where treatments may not be recommended and referral to other medical professional is made, whenever needed.
Osteopaths will choose techniques that are suitable of each individual patient, and safety is always the prime consideration.
Irritability and excessive crying; Difficulty feeding; Bruising, swelling of the skull; Difficulty sleeping / settling; Colic /Reflux; “Flattening” or asymmetry of the skull and facial features; Osteopathy is a gentle form of manual therapy which can help with these issues. These issues can arise from a traumatic birth, difficult pregnancy, caesarean section, forceps delivery or labour in general. The cause of these problems is generally strains within your baby’s head, neck and spine. Gentle osteopathic techniques can help unwind these strains, giving both baby and mum relief.
When you arrive at the Osteo Egypt, the staff will greet you and seat you at the waiting room. We will examine you as quick as possible – average waiting time is 15 minutes.
You may have referred yourself, have been referred by another specialist or by Medical Insurance. We will discuss your problem and ask about your medical history. A thorough examination will then follow. We may request examinations and tests to assist and support our diagnosis.
Osteopathy is a patient-centred, system of healthcare. A first appointment generally lasts about 45 minutes to an hour to allow the osteopath adequate time to:
Your osteopath will also check for signs of serious conditions they cannot treat and may advise you to see your GP or go to hospital. They should provide you with a letter explaining what they believe to be the problem.
In the same way your medical doctor uses her/his palpatory skills to examine various parts of your body, an Osteopath uses specialized, highly trained palpatory skills to feel for the tensions, and possible restrictions of the tissues. As your body is made up of a great amount of water, your Osteopath, by applying various gentle pressures to different depths, is able to recognize the feel of well-functioning and malfunctioning organ.
“Osteopathy is all in Anatomy and its governing laws…” Andrew Taylor Still, medical doctor and surgeon, the founder of the Osteopathy as a science, at the end of the 19th century.
Yes.
Yes… but not exactly. The word Osteopath comes from 2 root words: osteo and path(os). We commonly use the root osteo to talk about bone (as in osteoporosis) however literally translated the root osteo refers to the structure of a living thing – In terms of osteopathy this may mean the bones, or the position and structure of an organ, or a nerve or blood vessel etc. and more importantly how this intricate structure lends to the proper functioning of the body. The root path or pathos is commonly used to describe the disease process (as in pathology – the study of disease). However, the ancient Greek word pathos was used to describe an actors ability to portray an emotion or feeling to an audience. Therefore an Osteopath is someone who treats, through the structure, that which the body is trying to portray or show.
Osteopathy is a form of drug-free non-invasive manual medicine that focuses on total body health by treating and strengthening the musculoskeletal framework, which includes the joints, muscles and spine. Its aim is to positively affect the body’s nervous, circulatory and lymphatic systems.
Osteopaths treat more than you think. Many patients present with complaints of aches in the head, back, neck, and heel/ foot pain; sciatica; shin splints; tennis elbow and repetitive strain injury. Other patients suffer from asthma; arthritis; digestive problems; carpal tunnel syndrome; whiplash and postural problems.
Osteopaths also deal regularly with patients who have been injured in the workplace, at home or while playing sport.
Reference: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/70381.php
Millions of patients today are turning to Osteopaths as their physicians of choice. They recognize that a DO, doctor of osteopathy, offers a variety of non invasive healing treatments not available from allopathic (conventional) doctors.
Long before it was fashionable, DOs advised their patients that the “best drugs” are contained in the body’s immune system. So strongly do Osteopaths believe in the body’s innate healing ability that many have devoted years of additional training, after medical school, to specialize in Osteopathic Manual Medicine (OMM).
Osteopaths hold to the common sense principle that a patient’s history of illnesses and physical traumas are written into the body’s structure. It is the Osteopath’s highly developed sense of touch that allows the physician to palpate (feel) the patient’s “living anatomy” (i.e. flow of fluids, motion of tissues, and structural make-up). In more clinical terms, a DO can even detect physical problems that fail to appear on an X-ray.
The Osteopath’s job is to “set” the body up to heal itself. To restore this normal function, the Osteopath gently applies a precise amount of force to promote movement of the bodily fluids, eliminate dysfunction in the motion of the tissues, and release compressed bones and joints. In addition, the areas being treated require proper positioning to assist the body’s ability to regain normal tissue function. This treatment modality is called Osteopathic Manual Medicine (OMM).
After a thorough evaluation, the patient lies down on the examination table ready for treatment. DOs treat the dysfunction in the patient’s body taking advantage of the body’s natural tendency to strive toward a state of health and homeostasis.
Many patients frequently report feeling a deep sense of relaxation, tingling, and/or flow of fluids as their pain is relieved.
Although treatment varies, Osteopaths primarily concentrate on normalizing the body’s “mechanism” or put in more clinical terms, The Five Components of the Primary Respiratory Mechanism (as pioneered by William G. Sutherland, DO).
Since the late 1800s, Osteopaths have been able to successfully diagnose and treat medical problems with their hands, much to the disbelief of their MD colleagues.
The rhythmic motion of the brain and spinal cord along with that of normal breathing is transmitted to the rest of the body through the continuity of membranes (dura and fascia). Fascia is literally one piece of connective tissue that lines the body cavities, surrounds all the muscles, organs, bones, vessels, and nerves, somewhat like a large piece of shrinkwrap. The fascia is continuous with the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges), thus allowing the different motions (and tension) of the body to be transmitted everywhere. This motion gently pulls and lets go on all the areas of the body in order to work strains and tissue restrictions structurally free. This is enhanced when a person sleeps as the affects of gravity are reduced
Treatment is aimed at the structural problems present, not the disease entity. By removing the obstructions to health, Osteopathic Physicians are able to treat virtually any illness or trauma. Their philosophy is the body is a unit whose parts integrally affect each other. Therefore, dysfunction in one area affects other areas as well. For example a young man suffering from pain due to a cervical disc problem wanted to know why his practitioner was spending time treating his legs when it was his neck that hurt. The doctor explained that due to a past traumas the man’s legs was pulling on his neck, restricting its motion, and that unless he freed up the area, the pain would persist. Much to the patient’s amazement, a great deal of his pain disappeared, before his neck was treated.
Some common illnesses treated with Osteopathy include:
| Pediatric Problems | Somatic Pain | Systemic Problems |
| Colic | Neck Problems | Neurologic Syndromes |
| Spitting Up | Back Problems | Digestive Disorder |
| Sucking Difficulty | Sciatica | Genitourinary Problems |
| Delayed Development | Headaches | Chronic Infectious Disease |
| Birth Trauma | Joint Pain Syndrome | Head Trauma |
| Cerebral Palsy | Traumatic Injury | Post Concussion Syndrome |
| Learning Disorders | Overuse Syndrome | Seizures |
| Pregnancy | Respiratory Illness | Ear Nose Throat Problems |
| Back Pain | Asthma | Chronic Ear Infection |
| Groin Pain | Allergies | Recurrent Sore Throats |
| Digestive Upset | Bronchitis | Frequent Colds |
| Edema | Pleurisy | Sinusitis |
A chronic condition often takes years to develop. With this in mind, it stands to reason that it will require time to resolve: the ratio is often one month of treatment for every year of illness. (Although every body has its own time table, this is the average course of treatment). For a patient with an acute problem (flu, muscle strain, etc.), the course of treatment is shorter because the condition is not as deep as a chronic illness. Much is also dependent on a patient’s level of vitality (i.e. immune system). In other words, a patient in generally good health will respond more quickly to treatment than a patient with lower vitality (i.e. weakened immune system).
Osteopathy has changed the lives of such well-known figures as John D. Rockefeller, Henry Kissinger former presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The growing demand for Osteopathic services among our population reflects an increasing desire by patients to resolve health problems without drugs or surgery. Osteopathic Medicine continues to gain national attention and remains the fastest growing health profession in both the U.S. and abroad.
Osteopaths are primary health care practitioners, complementary to other medical practices. They have the ability to diagnose and treat a number of musculoskeletal dysfunctions. Osteopaths work primarily on the neuro-muscular-skeletal system, they also pay attention to relevant psychological and social factors in order to form a diagnosis.
Osteopathy is a system of healthcare and not just a series of techniques applied to the body. It is based on the philosophy that the body should be able to auto-regulate itself in order to maintain a state of health, balance and harmony. The body should be able to adapt and recover from even traumatic events, however sometimes this ability to adapt and compensate gets overwhelmed, and may need some assistance, this is where osteopaths can help.
Physiotherapists are health care professionals who evaluate and manage health conditions for people of all ages. Physiotherapists are considered a profession supplementary to medicine .
Physiotherapists help in circumstances where movement and function are threatened by the ageing process or subsequent to injury or disease. Physiotherapists view full functional movement as at the heart of what it means to be healthy. Physiotherapy aims to promote, maintain and restore both physical and psychological well-being, after taking into account the individual’s health status.
Osteopaths treat the whole person and not just the areas causing symptoms. This is because osteopaths believe the cause often originates in another area/part of the body. Therefore, several people may come in with the “˜same” symptoms, but the reasons for their symptoms may be very different, it would follow that no two osteopathic treatments are the same.
Physiotherapists apply therapeutic techniques and intervention in order to assist recovery of functional limitation and disability following injury and disease. The intervention (particularly with NHS physiotherapists) is often aimed at preventing impairment.
Osteopathy is well known for its ability to help with musculoskeletal aches and pains but it is also able to help with a vast majority of different symptoms and conditions in people of all ages; from babies to the elderly! Osteopaths can provide one-off relief from pain and dysfunction or help you to manage any long-term (chronic) complaints.
common conditions seen by osteopaths include; joint pain, back pain, neck pain, period pain, muscle aches, strains and stiffness, tennis elbow, asthmas, repetitive strain injuries, headaches, migraine, child development problems, arthritis, sports injuries, pain and altered function pre and post joint operations etc
Physiotherapists also treat all of these problems. Since many patients are referred to a physiotherapist from a doctor, physiotherapists might also see a more varied range of conditions. Some physiotherapists specialise in certain areas of dysfunction, for example; neurological physiotherapy and cardiopulmonary physical therapy.
Both osteopaths and physiotherapists have access to more modern diagnostic equipment such as X-ray and MRI.
Since Osteopathy is still unrecognized Profession in the middle east, also we still waiting for first Middle Eastern generation DO , So I decided to come up with an idea to help our Patients who deserve the best also to help our skilled PT to use the Osteopathic Principles Appling Therapy modality and Manual therapy ..we have Started Osteo-Physio Clinic ..First in the Middle East to provide only PT Manual Therapy from Osteopathic point of View…( Global Manual Osteopathic Approach)
So, you will be treated by a highly qualified Licensed Physiotherapist who attended at least four to five Osteopathic seminar to ensure he quality and the skills provided to you.
So, the main goal is to help restore the human body’s natural equilibrium and harmony. Osteopathy is a discipline based on the anatomy, physiology and biomechanics of the human body. The patient is treated with a global approach, so rather than simply treating the symptom the body is treated as a whole entity. Patients of all ages can benefit from osteopathy.
The osteopath, with the use of different techniques, will treat the body on many different levels such as articular, visceral, cranial and fascial. This approach differentiates itself from others because it is aimed at discovering the cause of the problem rather than simply focusing on the symptoms. The key is to keep the different structures of the human body mobile. A loss in mobility causes functional as well as circulatory and/or nervous limitations. This loss in mobility can cause repercussions locally and possibly distally by forcing the body to compensate in other areas in order to maintain its equilibrium.
The osteopath’s job, therefore, is to make sure that the different elements of the body remain mobile in order to allow the body to function properly and remain healthy.
In hopes of offering optimal care to our patients, osteopathy has become one of the essential services offered at our office.
