Osteopathy is the diagnosis and treatment of a range of medical conditions, based on the principle that for your body to work well, its structure must also work well. This includes your skeleton, muscles, ligaments and connective tissues working smoothly together.

Osteopaths assess the cause of your problems based on your entire musculoskeletal system and its relationship with other systems in your body. They work with you to restore balance in your body and help you to fully recoer. Osteopaths do not use drugs or surgery.

Osteopathic treatment may involve:

• manual therapy – a range of physical manipulation, stretching and massage of your body’s tissues and bones
• exercises – to help you to achieve your optimum level of health
• helpful advice - designed to help you relieve or manage your pain, keep active and maintain the best of health.

The aim of osteopathy treatment is to:

• increase joint mobility
• relieve muscle tension
• reduce pain
• enhance blood supply to tissues
• help your body’s own healing mechanisms.

Osteopathy is a complementary therapy and is often used alongside conventional treatment to improve your health.

Yes, there is evidence that osteopathy may be effective for conditions related to your musculoskeletal system. These include some types of neck, shoulder or lower-limb pain, some headache types, and hip or knee post-op recovery. However, research is limited and tends to include general "manual therapy" techniques, that are used by physiotherapists, chiropractors, and osteopaths.

Manual therapy alongside exercise is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to manage lower back pain and sciatica. NICE also recommends manual therapy as treatment option for osteoarthritis.

There is also limited evidence that osteopathy is an effective treatment for non-muscular-skeletal conditions such as asthma, colic in babies, depression, digestive disorders, glue ear, jaw problems, period pain and scoliosis.

Many patients find that osteopathy works for various conditions.

Osteopathy is most commonly used to help treat conditions that affect your muscles, bones and joints. These include:

• lower back pain
• uncomplicated neck pain (not caused after an injury such as whiplash)
• shoulder and elbow pain (tennis elbow)
• arthritis pain
• pelvis, hip and leg problems
• sports injuries
• posture changes and problems with driving, work or pregnancy.

In addition, osteopathy is used to treat conditions which appear to be unrelated to your muscles and joints, such as:

• headaches and migraines
• digestive disorders including IBS
• circulation irregularities
• sleep issues.

Osteopathy treats young and old patients, manual workers and professionals, pregnant women, children and sportspeople.

You should have a minimal recovery process after having osteopathy. You may feel sore or stiff during the first few days after treatment. This may be particularly evident if you have treatment for a painful or inflamed injury.

Your osteopath will discuss any likely reactions to your treatment. They may give you advice and exercises to aid your recovery.

The costs of osteopathy vary from patient to patient. They will depend on your condition, the number of manual therapy sessions you have, and your chosen osteopath.

You will receive a formal quotation price for your osteopathy after your consultation with one of our experienced osteopaths. This formal quote will be valid for 60 days.

The costs of your osteopathy may be covered by medical insurance. We advise you to get written confirmation from your insurance provider before your osteopathy commences.

If you are paying for yourself, we offer a variety of payment options including pay-as-you-go and interest-free finance.

We work alongside highly trained and experienced osteopathy allied health professionals to offer exceptional non-surgical care for our patient's musculoskeletal problems, across our network of hospitals. Our osteopaths offer diagnostic assessments and regular and complex therapy treatment sessions.

They use a range of techniques including massage, stretching, pressure work, manipulation and mobilisation of your joints to help minimise pain, relieve tension, stretch muscles, and mobilise your joints. Expert advice and exercises are also provided.