You may have heard a friend say their osteopath helped them with their insomnia and thought “What is manual osteopath?” Or maybe you’ve wondered if there are gentler treatments for improving your posture.
Acupoint Wellness recently welcomed manual osteopathic practitioner Nora Saeedeh Shahbazi to our Vancouver clinic. The addition of Nora to our team gives our clinic the capacity to offer manual osteopathy treatments for our community. And we’ve answered the FAQs we commonly receive about this fantastic treatment.
What is manual osteopathy?
Manual Osteopathy is a hands-on therapy with a holistic approach. Because of its gentle but effective methods, this treatment has quickly grown in popularity across Canada. Manual Osteopaths look at the body as a whole to treat and prevent injury and illness.
How does manual osteopathy work?
Through gentle, manual movements, osteopathy considers the overall alignment of all parts of the body in order to treat the body.
With focus on the body’s joints, muscles, spine, bones, nerves and organs, the osteopath looks at how everything aligns and functions together. Like in acupuncture, the osteopath tunes into your body, but uses gentle, intuitive movements and stretches to bring everything to centre. To ensure balance and alignment with each movement, every part of your body is looked at from head to toe.
Get to know Nora’s approach to manual osteopathy.
What ailments can manual osteopathy treat?
Similar to acupuncture and other holistic wellness treatments, manual osteopathy can treat and help a variety of ailments.
- Arthritis pain
- Joint pain: foot, ankle, hip, and knee
- Back pain, neck pain, and sciatica
- Hand, shoulder, and elbow pain
- Headaches
- Tennis and golfer’s elbow
- Postural problems due to pregnancy
- Sports injuries
- Repetitive strain injuries
- Digestive issues
- Neuralgia
- Stress
What to expect from a manual osteopathy treatment
Manual osteopathy treatments are quite relaxing — like a nice stretch session, but someone is doing the work for you. Osteopathy sessions are more dynamic than a massage — you are also fully clothed. There are similarities to chiropractic, but there are no high-velocity manipulations of the spine or cracking sounds.
Techniques possibly used in a manual osteopathy session include:
- Stretching
- Massage
- Joint mobilizations
- Myofascial release
- Active release
- Trigger point release
It’s common to feel deeply relaxed and peaceful after a session. Be sure to stay present with these sensations throughout your day.
Benefits coverage for manual osteopathy
- Nora is a registered manual osteopath with the BC Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners, the College of Registered Osteopaths, and the Canadian Alliance of Alternative Medicine.
- Osteopath treatments with Nora are accepted by Blue Cross, Green Shield, Sunlife, Empire Life, Desjardin, RBC, SSQ, and Cooperators Insurance.
- Canada Life and Great West Life Insurance currently do not accept Nora’s registration.
- Do you have osteopath coverage, but your provider isn’t listed? Be sure to check with your provider prior to making your appointment.
