Vancouver Osteopathy

Osteopathy is always focusing on your health and our Vancouver osteopathic practitioners are ready to help. It understands that your pain is just a clue that should be tracked to the source of the problem. Based on deep knowledge of anatomy and physiology, the osteopathic practitioner investigates the causes hidden behind any symptom an individual may present.

Following a meticulous assessment of the function of every tissue of the body, such as muscle, joint, tendon, ligament, vessels, organs and membranes the osteopathic practitioner may identify and correct the underlying issue, by applying manual therapy techniques, and your symptoms will progressively diminish and eventually disappear, and the chances that it returns drop substantially.

The aim of an osteopathic practitioner is to restore the function and stability of joints in order to allow the body to heal quickly and on its own. Osteopathic practitioners hold a holistic approach and, through the use of manual osteopathy, will use a combination of gentle manual techniques as well as more forceful techniques in order to provide whole body care. Osteopathic practitioners work on your musculoskeletal framework and focus on the whole body's ability as opposed to individual systems.

Some Vancouver osteopathic practitioners might combine their osteopathy practice with craniosacral therapy, athletic therapy, or chiropractic knowledge in order to provide unique osteopathic care that is tailored to your body.

Can Osteopathy assist with lower back pain or sciatica? The answer is yes! Of course! Sciatica is often caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve. An osteopathic practitioner will use manual adjustments to relieve pressure from that nerve, as well as provide appropriate treatment plans to increase your lower back's range of motion.

Sciatic pain can be caused by any number of things—from sitting at a desk too long, to endometriosis, to sports injuries. Sciatica can lead to a great deal of pain throughout your body and nervous system, which is why it's important to have it treated as soon as possible.

If you're experiencing sciatica and are seeking long-term, full body relief, an osteopathic practitioner is an excellent option.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you might have sciatica:

• Chronic pain in your lower back
• Weakness, numbness, or a "tingling sensation" in your lower back, legs, feet, or buttocks
• Pain that worsens with movements (ex. leaning over)
• Loss of bowel or bladder control

Jaw pain, or temporomandibular join pain, is one of the most common complaints Vancouver osteopathic practitioners receive. Luckily, there are very straightforward treatment plans available.

Osteopathic practitioners are well versed in the construction of a jaw. On your first visit, an osteopathic practitioner might review your symptoms to confirm the presence of T.M.J. Then, they might evaluate your body as a whole, to see if there are any whole-body imbalances. Often one imbalance is linked to another and through the application of an osteopathic approach or muscle energy technique, these imbalances can be resolved.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you might be experiencing the pain associated with T.M.J:

• Neck or shoulder pain
• Earaches or the feeling of "fullness" in your ear
• Chronic headaches
• Jaw pain and tenderness
• Jaw locking
• Clicking or popping while chewing

Headaches and migraines are an extremely common problem that many osteopathic practitioners are able to treat. By correcting the brain and spinal cord, osteopathic medicine is able to relieve joint pain caused by postural problems that might be worsening your headaches. That, or identify other imbalances in the body that might be related to your migraines.

Sports injuries are often treated by osteopathy in Vancouver. Whether you're suffering from repetitive strain injuries or something more acute, our team of osteopathic practitioners will be able to treat you. The human body is a complex system and requires a full body interpretation, specifically when injury occurs. With our deep knowledge of athletic therapy paired with our osteopathy manual practice, you'll be healed up and back to health in no time.

At Van Sports Physio, we offer both Joint Mobilization Manipulation Therapy as well as Soft Tissue Mobilization Release.

Joint Mobilization Manipulation Therapy involves the use of your osteopath's hands to make corrections and adjustments to your muscles, which affect your joints.

In situations where joint mobility is resolved, but muscle spasms are still a problem, Soft Tissue Mobilization Release might be the solution. By slowly moving the affected joint in specific directions and by applying pressure, this will increase the range of mobility without feeling strain on the muscles.

Osteopathy in Vancouver treat more than you think:

• Sports related injuries. From knee, hip, and lower back pain to tendonitis, ligament sprains, fractures, and much more, we can assist with your sports rehabilitation.
• Work related issues. Whether you're working on a construction site or sitting at a desk, repetition in routine can lead to strain and injury. Common issues we treat include headaches/ migraines, wrist/ elbow pain, postural problems, lower back strain, tension in the neck and shoulders, and more.
• Fertility issues. Our osteopathic practitioner in Vancouver help encourage fertility by assisting with issues such as pelvic misalignment, lymphatic congestion, scar tissue, lower back pain, premenstrual syndrome, and broad ligament restrictions.
• Pregnancy and birth preparation. While exciting, this can also be a challenging and uncomfortable time for pregnant people. Our practitioners can assist with sciatica, lower back pain, indigestion, muscle spasm, rib pain, uterus/ ovary alignment, shortness of breath, and more, to provide relief throughout the stages of pregnancy.
• Postpartum recovery. Following childbirth, osteopathic techniques can assist with pelvic floor recovery and alignment, as well as minimize bodily pain in the lower back, neck, head, ribs, etc.

Osteopathic manual techniques include muscle energy, craniosacral therapy, counterstrain, myofascial release, lymphatic drainage, and high velocity low amplitude.

• Muscle energy is an osteopathic technique that involves a broad class of manual adjustments to the bodily system. Its aim is to improve musculoskeletal function by mobilizing joints and stretching tight muscles and fascia.
• Craniosacral therapy is also a form of manual therapy, except far gentler. By using light touch, craniosacral therapists are able to examine and identify imbalances in the body and readjust them with a gentle touch.
• Counterstrain identifies tender points and uses a gentle touch to treat somatic function.
• Myofascial release is similar to counterstrain and craniosacral therapy, except it utilizes massage to treat fibromyalgia and other forms of chronic pain.
• Lymphatic drainage drainage is a form of massage used to treat inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation might be due to illness or stress.
• High velocity low amplitude uses a rapid amount of force in a short period of time to restore normal joint mobility.

Using biomechanical principles, our osteopathic practitioner will use a combination of these techniques in order to best suit your body's unique needs.