There are many myths and mysteries surrounding the manipulative therapy of osteopathy, which is sometimes confused with the related treatments of physiotherapy and chiropractic.

Alex Watson and his wife Sharon are determined to shed some light on this effective, hands-on treatment, to dispel some of the commonly held fallacies surrounding it.

They run the Osteopathic Consultancy in Frimley Green, with osteopath Alex providing treatment and practice manager Sharon running the business side of things.

They are joined by two other qualified osteopaths, Jeremy Webb and Marcus Benini, who are associates in the practice.

Alex came to the profession by way of an accident when he was 12. A neck injury he sustained at that time forced him to give up the national-level, competitive swimming which had formed an important part of his life.

When an operation failed to put things right, he tried osteopathy as a last resort. The treatment was a success although, because of the passage of time, he was unable to go back to a potential swimming career.

So impressed was he with the treatment, that he vowed to become an osteopath.

Osteopathy, once described as a complementary therapy, is increasingly being seen as a mainstream form of treatment with many private health insurance companies. And some NHS primary care trusts are willing to pay for treatment.

It is regulated by the General Osteopathic Council and all practising osteopaths must be registered with the council.

The training takes four to five years, after which the student is awarded an honours degree in osteopathy.

The course covers subject areas such as physiology, neurology, anatomy and biomechanics and the trainee osteopath acquires the tools to be able to make diagnoses as well as provide treatment.

This means that any osteopath has a compre-hensive understanding of the body and its workings.

The philosophy behind osteopathy is holistic — the body is considered as a whole, which is why such an in-depth knowledge is necessary.

No surgery or drugs are used during treatment. Instead, the body’s natural healing processes are seen as a powerful force and techniques are used to encourage these to develop.

As a manipulative treatment, osteopathy is often confused with chiropractic, but the two are, in fact, very different.

Unlike chiropractic with its well-known ‘cracks’, osteopathy generally uses gentle manipulation, although, HVT (high velocity thrusts) is applied on occasion.

The therapy concentrates on the musculoskeletal system and can be used to treat a wide variety of ailments and conditions.

Most usually, it is used to alleviate neck, back and joint pain, but it can also help patients suffering with other problems such as arthritis or even migraines.

And because osteopathy can improve blood flow and lymphatic drainage, it can be successfully used for inflammatory conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Treatment can involve a number of osteopathic techniques. For example, a stiff neck might require a deep tissue massage, accompanied by neuromuscular work to switch off the messages from the brain telling the muscles to contract and tighten.

Contrary to popular belief, HVT forms only a minor part of osteopathic treatment and may not be necessary or appropriate in some conditions or for patients such as the very young and the elderly.

Sharon explained that because osteopaths are trained to diagnose, they can sometimes pick up conditions which may not be directly related to the symptoms shown by the patient.

For example, if they suspect a new patient has a condition which would not respond to osteopathy or has an underlying condition such as cancer or heart disease, they must refer them to their GP.

“Osteopathy can treat all kinds of conditions and we have patients of all ages, from children and babies right up to the very elderly,” said Sharon.

“We have some new patients coming to us who are on high doses of anti-inflammatories or painkillers and they are surprised at how effective the treatment is, allowing them to reduce or even stop their medication.

“Even for arthritis, although we can’t completely cure it, we can give a high level of relief from symptoms.”

New patients are given a free consultation to find out what is wrong and how it can be treated.

The osteopath will consider the patient’s medical history, including any medication being taken, and will discuss the problem, how long the patient has been suffering and if they have received any other treatment.

After this, the osteopath assesses the patient’s range of movement. After diagnosis, a treatment is decided on and discussed with the patient.

“Osteopaths need to look at the whole body and how it functions,” said Sharon. “A bad neck, for example, could be a result of a problem elsewhere because there is a compensatory process going on to alleviate pain in another part of the body.

“So, we might need to treat the neck and shoulders for a back pain.

“Once the diagnosis is made, the osteopath can tell the patient how much treatment they will need and how long it will take. At this point, they can choose to go ahead or decide it’s not for them.

“We find this approach works very well with patients who are apprehensive because sometimes people can be nervous about manipulative procedures.”

Patients are kept fully informed throughout their treatment, with the aim of achieving results and discharging them as quickly as possible.

“We joke when they leave us that we don’t want to see them again for a long time,” Sharon said. “However, some patients do need maintenance, say every six months, and we would rather they do this than come back after a year or two just as bad or worse than before.”

The number of treatments needed varies from patient to patient and can depend on a number of factors — the nature of the problem, how long the patient has had it and how well the patient responds to treatment.

Sharon pointed out that a treatment might run over the allocated time slot of 30 minutes if the osteopath felt that a few more minutes would be beneficial.

“If someone is waiting for a treatment and the previous one has overrun, we find that most people appreciate the situation,” she said.

“They know that we look after our patients to the best of our ability, and I think this is proved by the fact that 70% of our patients come to us via word of mouth.

“And you can’t really do better than recommendation by a satisfied customer.”

For more details call the Osteopathic Consultancy on 01276 708954.