Frequently Asked Questions
Is my treatment covered by my insurance company?
Yes, most insurance companies who provide chiropractic, physiotherapy and massage coverage also provide osteopathic coverage. We can also bill for massage, so we’ve got you covered for both. Check your policy if you are unsure. It is the client’s responsibility to know their own insurance policies. Most insurance companies, unfortunately, do not allow for direct billing for manual osteopathy.
Do I need a Dr’s referral to see a Manual Osteopath?
No, you do not need a referral to have an appointment with a Manual Osteopath.
What can Manual Osteopathy help me with?
Manual Osteopathy is best used for rehabilitation and ‘problem fixing’. If there is a dysfunction in the body’s structural or soft tissues, it is likely a Manual Osteopath can help facilitate natural function. From wrists to toes, vertigo to tailbone; there is very little Manual Osteopathy can’t help with.
What is the difference between Osteopathic Manual Therapy and Chiropractics?
Osteopathic Manual Therapy and Chiropractics are very similar in some ways, yet very different in others. Both therapies are a hands-on approach to musculoskeletal conditions, such as back or neck pain, without the use of medication. Treatments generally also include exercise, dietary and general lifestyle advice to help maintain good mechanics of the body and prevent further injuries.
Osteopathic Manual Therapy has similar principles, however it doesn’t restrict it to spinal problems, but includes all joints and tissues of the body. Osteopathic Manual Therapists only use their hands and include other treatment modalities, such as Visceral Manipulation and CranioSacral Techniques. Manual Osteopathic treatments tend to be much longer, but not as frequent compared to Chiropractic treatments.
Chiropractics was founded by D.D. Palmer in the 1890’s, who was a student of metaphysics, science and later Osteopathy under Dr. A.T. Still, the founder of Osteopathy.
What should I expect from my session?
The first session will always begin with a complete health history and discussion of the problem and goals with the patient, full assessment, treatment plans and expectations from the therapist, and the first step in the treatment. Ongoing sessions may be shorter, depending on the number of problems and systems of the body to address, with time spent reassessing, discussing and treating.
Is there anything I should bring to my session?
It is requested that the patient wears comfortable, unrestricted clothes they can move in. Shorts and tank tops are fantastic!
What should I expect from a Manual Osteopathic adjustment?
Unlike other forms of adjustments/manipulations, Manual Osteopathic adjustments are soft and require little force—meaning no high velocity movements, little to no pain and far fewer ‘cracks’. The patient is in complete control of the contraction that allows for the adjustment. The patient may feel a mild stretch when the practitioner sets them in the proper position. Sometimes there is a sensation of movement when structures realign, but often it is too subtle to feel or hear.
What is the difference between a Doctor of Osteopathy and a Manual Osteopath?
A Doctor of Osteopathy, in Canada and the US, is a medical physician, allowed to prescribe medications, order required laboratory or diagnostic procedures and perform surgery. They must be trained in one of the 29 Osteopathic Medical Schools in the US only to call themselves a DO in Canada.
Both Manual and Medical Osteopaths are trained to balance and adjust the body, to help overcome dysfunction and illness.
What is Hanna Somatics™/Equine Hanna Somatics™/Canine Hanna Somatics™?
HS/EHS/CHS is a form of movement therapy (neuromuscular physiology) that has helped countless people overcome chronic pain, restore mobility after injury, release general tension and so much more.
How does HS/EHS/CHS work?
HS works by accessing the voluntary motor cortex and making changes in the central nervous system. Through movement, one can become aware of un-necessary tension or tension patterns that are causing pain, restricting mobility or weakness. Once aware of this tension or tension pattern, changes can be made.
What is the difference between HS/MO/MT/DC?
Massage and chiropractic work to make changes by influencing the sensory system. MO & HS effects the voluntary motor cortex of the client’s brain to alter the muscle ton/muscular contraction(s) which create positive sensory feedback that goes back to the brain
In other words; MT/DC makes changes TO the patient, MO/HS works WITH the patient to retrain how the movements are performed and how much tension is required.
How many manual osteopathic treatments will I need?
The amount of treatments varies from person to person. It depends on the condition that is being addressed, general health, stress and compliance with “homework”. Something more acute will often take less time to heal than something more chronic.
However, most people follow a course of just 4-6 treatments!
Links:
National Manual Osteopathic Society (Association) located in Central Alberta.
National Manual Osteopathic College
Northern Institute of Massage Therapy
Canadian Massage and Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association