How Osteopathy Can Support Your Mental Health.

Written by Osteopath Kerry Dowson BSc. (Hons) Ost.

Osteopathy is a way of using physical movements and manipulation to restore balance to the mind and body. It works on the principle that the body is a unit and structure with interrelated functions, so your emotional and physical health are intimately connected to each other, as well as to your overall wellbeing.

Based on this premise, osteopathy may be used to support emotional issues such as anxiety, as well as physical conditions (like migraines or back ache). It is particularly powerful when combined with other tools and techniques, such as breathwork.

How Osteopathy combines physical, mental and emotional treatment

Hopefully, a good osteopath will always create a safe place for you to share how you are and what you have been feeling – physically, mentally and emotionally. 

An osteopath’s overarching intent will be to get to the root of the issue: are you stressed because of a physical pain, a fast-approaching deadline or an argument with a friend – or because of something less tangible? If you’re feeling “a bit down”, how exactly is that manifesting itself in your body? How long have you been feeling out-of-sorts and what does that look like for you? Or are you okay overall and just need a bit of TLC, touch, body work, or simply to be heard?

By listening carefully and taking your concerns seriously, as well as asking pertinent questions about your physical symptoms and medical history, an osteopath can decide on a working treatment plan to support your change or recovery.

Clear channels of communication are vital for you to feel comfortable and to let your practitioner know how you are during the session and also how you are responding to the treatment, especially if you’ve had either an adverse reaction or a good result from treatment. Osteopaths need feedback to make sure that they are providing you with the best possible care.

Often, physical pain and mental health challenges go hand in hand. If someone visits an osteopath with pain – whether they’ve felt that way for a few days, months or even years – they may also be under mental or physical stress. Is it a sports injury? Is it an old injury nipping at you again? Are you a dancer, or sportsman or a data developer who spends a lot of time hunched over a laptop? 

You might be anxious or feeling low, depressed or just plain sore. By understanding and then easing that pain – hopefully giving relief for even a few hours – osteopathy may also relieve the mental stress and anxiety that it’s caused.

About Kerry Dowson

Kerry is a registered Osteopath with lots of experience and a Breathworker specialising in trauma release. With over 20 years of experience, Kerry consults a diverse cross section of patients, aged from 2 weeks to 103 years old, with varying ailments and issues. She works with acute and chronic issues and likes a challenge but knows her limitations. Click here to learn more about Kerry and to book a session.

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