Osteopathic Manual Therapy

Osteopathic Manual Practitioners are not regulated in Canada. However, the Canadian College of Osteopathy (CCO) does require that a student enrolling in its program must first have a license, registration or certificate in the healthcare field, such as an athletic therapist, chiropractor, physiotherapist, massage therapist or nurse.

Osteopathy focuses on removing obstructions that impede the body’s ability to circulate all of its fluids and liquids. These fluids include blood, lymph, digestive juices, synovial fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, and all other intra and extracellular fluids of the body. They are responsible for delivering hormones, enzymes, immune and anti-inflammatory factors, neural impulses, nutrition and oxygen. They are involved in all aspects of life, from DNA to amniotic fluid.

As the body ages, it loses its ability to self-heal and self-regulate.  This can be due to a number of things such as aging, poor posture, accident, illness, trauma and emotional, physical or spiritual stress.

Obstructions of the circulation of these fluids may take the form of structural problems such as poor posture, twists, and curves as bones and organs become misaligned. Non-structural problems can present as emotional patterns such as tight raised shoulders in times of stress.

Most patients have some combination of structural and non-structural problems. Complete osteopathic assessment and interview by the osteopath will provide a treatment plan aimed at helping the body to regain its optimal ability to circulate fluids and promote its natural ability to heal itself.