What is osteopathy?

Osteopathy is a hands-on approach to diagnosing and treating pain, injury and movement problems. It is based on the principle that your skeleton, muscles and tissues need to work in harmony for your body to function well and that treating the root cause, not just the symptom, leads to lasting results.

An osteopath aims to restore natural balance to the body’s structure by using manual techniques to mobilise, manipulate, massage and stretch the tissues and joints. This promotes the body’s natural healing mechanisms and health by enhancing blood and nerve supply, improving mobility and relieving tension.

Many patients visit us after an injury, while others use osteopathy preventatively to maintain long-term health — much like a regular dental check-up. We consider your whole lifestyle when building a treatment plan, and may offer postural, exercise and dietary advice alongside hands-on treatment.

View the range of conditions and injuries we treat.

Osteopathic treatment is gentle, effective and safe for patients of all ages and over 30,000 people visit osteopaths each day in the UK. While doctors can refer patients through the NHS to an osteopath, you do not need to have a doctor’s referral before you book an appointment.

Safety

Osteopathy is a safe treatment for individuals of any age. Occasionally there may be minor side effects such as muscle soreness, headache or fatigue following treatment but these will usually resolve within one or two days of treatment.

Regulation

Osteopaths are regulated in the same way as medical doctors. By law, every osteopath practising in the UK — including here at our Harrogate clinic — must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC). This regulatory body ensures osteopaths are fully qualified, insured, and have completed a four- or five-year degree with over 1,000 supervised clinical hours, upholding the same standards of safety and professionalism as any other healthcare profession.

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