Osteopathy is a form of manual medicine founded by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still in the United States and dates back to the 1870’s. Osteopathy is a holistic approach to the human body that uses a wide range of techniques and principles to treat the musculo-skeletal system and other functional disorders of the body.  However Osteopathic thinking is not confined to just bones and muscles, it considers all the body's systems and their inter-relations, bringing together all the pieces of a puzzle to diagnose and treat the whole person.  The Osteopathic approach aims to return the body to optimal mobility and health by addressing the cause of the problem and not just the presenting signs and symptoms.

In Australia, Osteopathy is a 5 year university degree that is offered at R.M.I.T  and Victorian University in Melbourne, Victoria.  It involves under-graduate and post-graduate studies. 
All Osteopaths must be registered with the Osteopaths Registration Board of Victoria which is regulated federally by the Minster for Health. 
The Australian Osteopathic Association is the main representative body for Osteopaths Australia-wide.  It deals with a range of issues specific to the profession such as legislation, promotion and continuing education.

No, you don’t need a referral to see an Osteopath, as they are primary health care practitioners.  All you need to do is call and make an appointment.

If you have “extras” with your Private Health Insurance, you will most likely be able to claim a portion of your treatment costs.  Our clinic is equipped with a HICAPS machine so you will be able to claim the portion of your treatment on the spot and only have to pay the out of pocket costs.  

Osteopathic treatment is not covered by Medicare unless you are on an Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) Plan which is managed and provided to you by your GP.  Your Osteopath and GP will discuss whether you are eligible.

An EPC Plan is part of Medicare scheme and is designed to provide patients with chronic (long standing) pain and conditions.  It allows you five Allied Health consultations per calendar year.   Medicare will pay a portion of your consultation fee, which is claimed at Medicare office.  Please note full payment is required on the day of treatment and a receipt will be issued for you to take to Medicare and claim the EPC rebate.  If you are experiencing musculoskeletal pain in conjunction with another medical condition please ask your GP if you are eligible to go on an EPC Plan.

Yes, Osteopaths are registered to treat patients who are covered by third party insurance such as Workcover, TAC, or Veteran Affairs.  
Workcover and TAC patients are required to provide a claim number and a contact name from their insurance company.  This must be provided at the initial consultation.  Payment for treatment is up front, and a receipt will be provided for you to claim a rebate through your Workcover/TAC insurance company.
If you are covered by the Department of Veteran Affairs then you must obtain a referral from your GP made out to the Osteopath you choose to see.

Your initial osteopathic consultation will take approximately 40 minutes and include a thorough medical history, diagnosis, treatment and discussion of further management. Subsequent consultations take between 30 and 40 minutes.  Please arrive 15 minutes before your initial treatment to fill out a brief questionnaire about your past medical history and your presenting complaint.

YES!

Please bring with you any x-rays, ultrasounds, CT and MRI scans and reports or any other test results that you feel are applicable to your presenting complaint on your initial consultation.

During the first consultation your Osteopath will take a detailed case history report including past medical history.  This will be followed by a systematic physical examination (including orthopedic and neurological testing if required) which involves assessing joint range of motion, postural analysis and palpation of the muscular system.   Your Osteopath regards the body as a unit; therefore the examination may involve adjacent areas that may also be impacting on your presenting problem.

Once your osteopath has finished the physical examination he/she will discuss their diagnosis with you and outline a treatment plan.  Treatment may include soft tissue massage and myofasical release, gentle joint manipulation and articulation, stretching and ligament balancing techniques.
At the conclusion of your treatment your Osteopath may also provide you with postural, stretching, exercise or dietary advice to improve your body’s health and function.

Osteopathy is a ‘hands on’ medicine, so you will most likely be asked to remove certain items of clothing (e.g. tops and trousers) depending on the location of your presenting complaint.  We recommended you wear comfortable clothing that is easy to move around.  Gowns are also available.

As every patient is an individual and responds differently to treatment this is a difficult question to answer.   Generally the longer and more chronic the problem, the longer the recovery.  However this is also affected by factors such as frequency of treatment, posture and patient compliance with exercising and stretching.  A clearer indication of how many treatments you will require can be made after your osteopath has made their initial assessment and diagnosis.

This is a commonly asked question.  These health modalities may appear very similar in the problems they treat and techniques they use.  However, it is the difference in philosophies, principles and the way the techniques are applied that sets them all apart.  
While it is not for us to explain the philosophies of Chiropractic or Physiotherapy, we can tell you all about Osteopathy.  Osteopathy is possibly the most complete of the modern day manual therapies.  The holistic approach of Osteopathy encompasses all aspects of the patient’s health and accesses factors that can be addressed both in and out of the treatment room.
For example, if you are suffering from knee pain it is important to assess not only your knee biomechanics and associated muscle groups but also your foot, hip and low back as they too will influence the function of your knee.  This may involve giving you exercises to correct muscle imbalances or taping techniques to help support your knee.

• Osteopaths will not put you on a ‘plan’ with set return dates
• Osteopaths will not just treat the sore joint or muscle
• Osteopaths do not treat multiple patients at a time
• Osteopaths do not just give exercises and use heat or ultrasound
• Osteopaths do not just manipulate or crack joints exclusively, excessively or heavily
• Osteopaths offer a much wider range of hands on techniques of varying pressure

As an Osteopath our goal is to not only treat the symptoms of your problem but the causes behind them.