Its founder, Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, believed that the human body was self-healing and that an uninterrupted nerve and blood supply to all the tissues of the body was necessary for their normal function. If any structural problem, such as injury or poor posture, interferes with the nerve and blood flow, the self healing power would be interfered with and disease would result.

With this in mind, he worked out a system of manipulation intended to restore healthy function to any structural deviations and abnormalities.

What can osteopathy treat?

Most people first consult an osteopath complaining of back ache / pain or of pain and discomfort appearing in other joints and muscles.

However, it is not unusual to find that, after treatment for their chief complaint, patients also report improvement in other conditions from which they may have been suffering.

Osteopathy can also be used to help many complaints such as fibromyalgia, whiplash, sciatica, minor sports injuries, cramp, tennis elbow and arthritic pain. Please note that patients under the age of 16 will need a chaperone with them for consultations and treatments.

What happens during diagnosis and treatment?

When you visit an osteopath for the first time a full case history will be taken, followed by an examination which will look at your posture and the way in which you move.

The osteopath will make a detailed examination of the spine, testing the movement of the vertebrae and looking for areas of tenderness, stiffness and increased mobility.

Osteopaths use many of the diagnostic procedures used in conventional medical assessments and diagnosis. If necessary, he/she may also recommend further tests such as X-rays, blood tests or urine tests to help reach an accurate diagnosis.

Osteopathy's main strengths, however, lie in the unique way the patient is assessed from a mechanical, functional and postural standpoint and the manual methods of treatment applied to suit the needs of the patient to restore normal function.

Osteopaths use their hands both to investigate the underlying causes of pain and to carry out treatment using a variety of manipulative techniques.

What is the difference between  osteopaths, chiropractors and physiotherapists?

Osteopaths use in depth physiological and clinical knowledge, coupled with keen observation and palpatory skills.  The osteopath will combine a detailed health case history with a thorough physical evaluation to diagnose a patient’s condition and treat it.  The patient’s diet, work and leisure practices all inform the process.
The osteopath doesn't only treat a painful back, knee or shoulder, but rather the body as a whole unit -  one that must be treated in an integrated manner in order to return to good balance and function.  Can an injured knee, for instance, be treated conclusively without addressing the biomechanics of the ankle, hip, pelvis and back?
The osteopath’s aim is not merely symptomatic relief, but to address the underlying causes of the problem to prevent re-occurence.
Osteopathic treatment combines joint mobilisation and manipulation with work on muscles and ligaments.

 Chiropractors: The origins of Chiropractors are close to osteopaths as the first chiropractor was a student of the founder of osteopathy.  A large proportion of chiropractors focus treatment on the manipulation of spinal segments to normalise spinal position and the underlying nerve roots.  Treatment plans are often based on regular manipulation for a set number of sessions in order to correct a disorder.  Chiropractors also often use imaging to aid diagnosis, such as X ray.  These X rays will often be conducted in the clinic as part of the course of treatment.

Physiotherapy is the most commonly known form of manual therapy due to its prevalence within the NHS.  Physiotherapists specialise in the rehabilitation of acute and chronic joint injury, often using a variety of prescribed exercises that the patient carries out at home.  Physiotherapists also use machines such as ultrasound  or TENS to facilitate change in an injured area.

NHS physiotherapists tend not to have a diagnostic input, the diagnosis and treatment request tending to emanate from a consultant or doctor.  As a result treatment will tend to be more specific than integrative.