Osteopaths are concerned with each patient’s day to day activities to understand the factors that may be causing the patient’s problem.  It is therefore equally important that the osteopath use not only his hands but his ears.

Whilst the philosophy of osteopathy encourages osteopathic intervention, the role that the patient plays is equally if not more important in the recovery process. Changes in the patient’s attitude to life-style such as diet, exercise, posture and stress are critical to the patient’s improvement so that they are not simply fighting illness once it has set in but rather are helping prevent it.

The human body has an extraordinary potential to make the required changes and produce the necessary substances to insure its health. Together, the osteopath and the patient try to provide the body with the most appropriate environment for the body to heal itself. The body’s natural defence mechanism, when functioning efficiently, exceeds any medical intervention that could be administered.  The osteopath’s role, together with the patient is to facilitate the body’s natural healing mechanisms and encourage the body to function at its optimum level.   It is for this reason that the osteopath also asks questions about the patient’s work-posture, sports activities, diet, and stress, to try and get a complete picture of the patient’s life style.  Then if necessary, the osteopath can recommend positive changes for the patient.