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Manual therapy treatments can help in alleviating pain and discomfort, improving movement, and reducing the effects of physical and mental stress, restoring balance to the body and preventing re-injury.  In addition, it may help in improving sleep, and reducing distress caused by menstruation, digestive difficulties, and concussion.

Treating the body as a whole, and supporting its innate healing abilities, allows us to help your body back to balance and health.  We can do this by using a variety of assessment and treatment techniques, observing and engaging not only postural and biomechanical aspects, but also considering influences of the viscera (internal organs and their associated structures) and the nervous system, and that quiet, constant, innate movement that is unique to you and your tissues.

Osteopathic Manual Therapy (OMT) is increasingly sought out by patients experiencing chronic pain. OMT is known to influence and alter biomechanical, and neurophysiologic (to do with the nervous system) factors via anatomical and physiological interconnections. The application of osteopathic manual techniques require a comprehensive understanding of anatomy and physiology and, based on osteopathic principles, use that knowledge to mobilize and influence the patient’s body.

The 4 main principals of OMT are:

1. the body is a functional unit (i.e. each part has multiple relationships to other parts, and therefore must be treated as a unit),
2. structure and function are reciprocally related (if the structure is impaired, the function is affected and vice versa),
3. The Rule of the Artery is Absolute (when blood and lymphatics flow freely, the tissues can perform their physiologic functions),
4. The Body has an innate capacity to heal.

Osteopathy is a philosophy rather than a specific modality.  This means that there are no set treatment protocols for any injury or condition. An osteopath will use their hands to assess for the structure and function of fascia and soft tissues, nerves and cerebrospinal fluid, joints and bones, veins and arteries, lymphatics and viscera.  Manual techniques are then applied from an osteopathic perspective, to restore normal free flow and action in and to the affected structures.

Many people seek osteopathic care initially for general musculoskeletal complaints such as back pain, hip, knee or ankle problems, headaches, or other common aches and pains.  However, since osteopathic manual therapy encompasses a very broad range of evaluation and manual approaches, it may be effective for many different health concerns.  Research has shown positive results with OMT for conditions such as:

Arthritis

Asthma

Anxiety

Bell’s Palsy

Concussion

Degenerative disc and joint disease

Ear infections

Fibromyalgia

Irritable bowel syndrome

Migraines

Pregnancy and childbirth

Colic/ feeding problems

Reflux

Tendonitis

TMJ

Massage Therapy (MT) has been shown to be useful for some pain conditions. Although there is still a great deal of research needed in fields of complementary health care such as MT, there is evidence to suggest that MT performed by a trained practitioner is useful in treating such conditions as chronic neck and low back pain, depression/ anxiety, pain associated with cancer treatment, and fibromyalgia. MT utilizes the manipulation of soft tissues, muscles and joints to help reduce pain and improve function.