Osteopathy, or Osteopathic Manual Therapy as we call it in Alberta, is the manual (hands on) therapy component of Osteopathic Medicine.

We use our hands to assess the state and function of the tissue and structures of the body, and do detective work to find root disruptors driving various symptoms. Our hands-on treatment is gentle, and we work to remove barriers to the bodies’ natural attempts to optimize function and health. This includes treating stiffness and  imbalanced absorption of bones and their joints, myofascial (muscles, their tendons, and lining elastic like connective tissue) work including performing myofascial release and fascial stretch therapy, visceral (organ) manipulation, freeing tension around or in the lining of blood vessels and nerves, and cranial and facial work (including the TMJ/jaw joints and the tongue).

Osteopathy was started by a physician in the US where it later received the title of Osteopathic Medicine – a second recognized stream of medicine. The graduates of such programs earn the title Doctor of Osteopathy and are called Osteopathic Physicians. Only the manual (hands-on) portion of Osteopathy spread throughout the rest of the world where a second stream of medical training wasn’t developed. The Osteopathic International Alliance describes people thoroughly trained in a 4-6 year program of study of the manual component of Osteopathy as Osteopaths who practice Osteopathy.

Osteopathy

In Canada each provincial Health Act and College of Physicians and Surgeons has various protected titles that those practicing only manual Osteopathy may not use depending on the province. This has resulted in various titles being used by representative associations for those thoroughly trained in manual Osteopathy such as Osteopath, Osteopathic Manual Practitioner, Osteopathic Practitioner, and in Alberta, Osteopathic Manual Therapist – of which Amy is one.

Aspects

Below, there are various aspects of osteopathic manual therapy. Click Read More to see more detailed information about a specific aspect.

A lady (Amy) wearing a black short sleeved blouse with pink flowers and a clear vinyl glove on her right hand which is grasping the left jaw bone of a plastic cranium while her other hand is keeping the forehead bones still.

Cranial Work

Cranial work includes working with the tension within the bones of the head and face. It also includes working with the…

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A girl lying on her back on a therapy table, and (Amy) wearing a blue 3/4 sleeve shirts with her hands on either side of the knee on the bare left leg resting on a towel under the knee of someone lying on a therapy table with just their legs showing.

Bone & Joint Work

Working on bones themself is often an important part of restoring the position and movement of the two bones at their…

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A lady lying on her back with her knees bent up and Amy standing beside her with her hands on the lady's abdomen.

Lymphatic & Circulation

The soft matter in our body that we often think of as fluid is an important part of transporting and exchanging…

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A man lying on his back with his knees bent up and Amy standing beyond his head with her hands on each side of his chest around his ribs.

Myofascial Release

It is very gentle and includes both being present to the direction that the fascia likes to go and assisting the fascia…

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A lady wearing black who's right side and back is in view is sitting on a therapy table with a female manual (hands on) therapist (Amy) sitting on a stool facing the first lady with Amy's right hand reaching across to touch the lady's left shoulder while Amy presses her other hand against the outside of the lady's right arm.

Nervous System

The nervous system is the system made up of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, the tips of nerves that receive information…

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A lady lying on her back with her knees bent up. Amy standing beside her to do visceral manipulation with one hand on the left side of her lower ribcage and the side of her 5th finger and palm on her upper abdomen.

Visceral Manipulation

Visceral Manipulation is a gentle approach to free tension in the tissues around our organs and their attachments to…

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Experience Osteopathic Manual Therapy

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