Therapies On Offer
Osteopathic Philosophy
Osteopathy is a physically based therapy, which regards the body as a unified whole, each part or system working to enhance health and well-being of the whole. If there is disease or dysfunction in one part we believe that it will affect the whole person. We see our job as removing restrictions and dysfunction to help restore balance and harmony in the body to help it heal itself.
We work mainly on connective tissue, muscles, tendons, bone, ligaments, etc, but we take a holistic view and look at how all these tissues work together to support the living structure that is the human body.
As Osteopaths we have highly developed observational and palpatory skills (sense of touch) which enable us to assess tissue changes, quality of movement and overall postural integration. Working with this sense of the whole body, and the lived experience of each individual reflected in the body we can best assess how we can affect changes to remove pain, disease and disfunction to restore quality of movement, ease and better function, and a sense of comfort in the body and promote health and healing.
We believe that when the body moves freely, and all the parts work together there is more chance of body healing, creating a sense of well-being, better function and building a deeper level of protection from further injury. We like to build a sense of safety and ease in the body so that people can get on with their lives better.
History
Andrew Taylor Still, our founder, was a doctor in the American Civil War of the 1860s. He got sick of seeing battle injuries turn fit young soldiers into broken men. He believed that a good blood supply was the key to good health. Helping these injured men to move more freely would allow the blood vessels to get to the damaged area and improve healing. While osteopathy is not a complete cure, it is a way of releasing strains in the tissues and improving our resistance to further injury.
Since those early days, osteopathy has developed into a broad based physical treatment and been integrated into national health systems throughout the world with osteopaths working in GP practices, hospital surgical units, alongside mid-wives and maternity services, sports injury clinics and rehab units, etc. We have rigorous processes of continuing professional development and standards of osteopathic care and training are constantly being upgraded. We have our own research journals and University Departments.
In Britain, our profession is regulated by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC), a state registered body. The GOsC sets the standard for osteopathic education and requires us to keep up-to-date, with a yearly programme of continuing professional development.
Cranial Osteopathy
Cranial osteopathy is a form of osteopathy where we use very gentle methods of treating the whole body. During a cranial session we palpate the deeper quiet rhythms in the body and follow the subtle movements in the body. We believe that this is a very powerful and effective way of addressing deeper strain patterns and torsions in the body, to release and rebalance them, and restore better function to body tissues. It is suitable for newborns, children or where stronger physical treatments or manipulations would be unsuitable. It offers us the choice to work softer if we need.
It is often used at the beginning or end of a session to guide the treatment or allow a period of consolidation after a treatment.
Cranial Osteopathy is based on the idea that throughout life the tissue and organs of the human body are in constant movement. This movement is called the cranial rhythm, and cranial osteopaths belief that this underlying movement can be affected by injuries, strains or any of life’s stresses. These could be anything from birth trauma, whiplash, falls, or emotional or psychological stresses or challenges. Whenever there has been a sense of shock or trauma, cranial osteopathy is indicated to help restore a sense of inner balance, connection and resilience.
Whereas the cranial rhythm can be detected throughout the body we usually start and finish at the head (hence cranial), and this is particularly relevant with any history of a head injury.
Other conditions where cranial work can be beneficial :
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Birth trauma
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Childhood and developmental problems
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Headache and Migraine
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Jaw related problems
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Dental trauma
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Stress, Depression and Anxiety, Panic Attacks
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ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia
Patients come to see us with many other conditions, and when taking the case-history we will advise you if we think cranial work would be useful in helping the condition, but if you have a serious, or complicated condition we do advise that you consult your physician first if there is a concern about suitability of the treatment.
Somatic Therapy
Recently with advances in neuro-science, and new therapies based on that knowledge, particularly related to the autonomic nervous system, vagal nerve and cutaneous nerve we can offer more ways of working with the human body that have a close association with classical osteopathy.
This new way of working is called working ‘somatically’. Somatics being a word used to try to link body and mind more directly. This is particularly useful when there is a sense of ‘stuckness’ or unresolved trauma in the body, or a strong sense of psycho-somatic connection to physical conditions, where there may be underlying emotional or psychological aspects of the condition that have not been addressed.
The following ‘somatic’ therapies all offer a way of working somatically, and overlap to some extent but will differ in intensity and commitment from individual to individual.
Somatic Coaching
The therapies all offer a somatic connection but differ in intensity and commitment.
There are elements of all three therapies in each approach, but the emphasis will be slightly different depending on individual requirement and circumstances.
Somatic Coaching is more suitable when there is a specific issue that needs to be addressed and is more focussed and short term, and involve more task setting and action orientated.
It will involve elements of embodied psychotherapy but will be more results focused.
Embodied Psychotherapy
This approach puts somatic processing at the heart of the therapy.
It is most suitable for people who have somatic symptoms or are aware of the connection between emotional and psychological issues and their physical well-being.
The therapeutic conversations will be about body feelings and ways of working with the body.
The approach is mainly based on verbal exchange, drawing on elements of NLP, Focussing, Energy Psychology (Emotional Freedom Technique) and cognitive approaches, but with a central somatic orientation, though there might be some work involving touch, movement, breathwork, mindfulness and kinaesthetic awareness and tasking.
This work is more ongoing in nature and can be used to support important life changes
Deep Tissue Bodywork
This approach is more suitable for those who want a more ‘hands-on” approach to personal therapy or growth work. It involves all of the elements mentioned above but be more focussed on direct work on the body through elements of fascial massage, deep tissue work, lymphatic drainage, elements of Rolfing, and cranio-sacral work and polarity therapy. The main inputs will be from Postural Integration (form of Rolfing work) and Energetic Integration, sometimes involving body reading and direct bodywork.
It will involve interactive body reading and direct body work. It would suit people who have had some aspect of bodywork in the past, and require a more ongoing therapy to help through life’s changes.