“To find health should be the object of the doctor.
Anyone can find disease.”
— Dr. A.T. Still, Founder of Osteopathy

The Canadian Academy of Osteopathy where Michael Wilkinson went to school offers a quick 90 second introduction to Osteopathy:

What is Osteopathy?

Osteopathy is a gentle, non-invasive form of manual therapy that emphasizes the relationship between the structure and function of the human body. Classically trained Osteopathic Manual Practitioners make use of their in-depth understanding of anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics, along with the core principles outlined by Dr. A.T. Still in order to design a treatment that is unique to each individual. 

The goal of Osteopathic treatment is to facilitate the restoration of health to an area by removing restrictions in all layers of tissue. Osteopathy addresses the structure and function of muscles, joints, nerves, blood vessels, and lymphatics. In removing these restrictions, the body is able to appropriately make use of its self-healing and self-regulating systems. 

Osteopathic care has been found to be beneficial for people of all ages, with all types of health concerns, which may include; musculoskeletal issues/injuries, traumatic injury, spinal health, sleeping problems, digestive irregularity, respiratory health, reproductive issues, migraines, and more. 

How does Osteopathic treatment differ from Physiotherapy, Chiropractic, Athletic Therapy and/or Massage?

A classically trained Osteopathic practitioner works to restore balance to the body as a whole, incorporating the assessment and treatment of all areas of the body, including muscles, fascia, joints, and viscera in order to re-establish proper fluid dynamics, allowing the body to take advantage of its self-healing and self-regulating mechanisms. As an Osteopathic practitioner, we do not perform any techniques of deep tissue massage or HVLA (high velocity low amplitude) thrusts. Cracking may be a by-product of treatment because we move your body around and adjust tension and compression with all the joints and soft tissues, however it is never the goal and is never done in an aggressive manner.

The objective of an Osteopathic practitioner is instead, to gently restore movements back to structures that may be “stuck” without causing trauma to any of the surrounding area. Over time, the body will incorporate these new movements and will in turn, find freedom in other areas that have been compensating for years for one (or more) of the areas that are lacking movement, or “stuck”. 

What can I expect from Osteopathic treatment?

Every body is unique and incorporates rediscovered movement in its own way. Osteopathic treatment is not painful or aggressive, and never uses high velocity thrusts; all adjustments are carefully crafted to create space before easing the structure back into proper position. As such, the movements are often slow, gentle, and rhythmic. However, areas that are the most “stuck” are often tender, and good communication with your practitioner will help to navigate through the discomfort.

Treatments are created just for you on the day of, based on how you walk through the door that day. A classically trained Osteopathic practitioner will carefully assess your structure and use your own anatomy through a variety of principle-based techniques in order to correct misalignment. This allows the body to take on treatment more readily without overwhelming the nervous system, and at the same time integrates specific treatment with the rest of the body to support the treatment in holding over time.