It seems there’s a lot of confusion with the general public about what an osteopath actually does. To add to this, I’ve noticed that the term ‘physio’ seems to be used to describe a whole range of therapies, treatments and techniques including sports massage, stretching and even personal training. So, when somebody says that they ‘need to see a physio’, exactly who should they see?

Osteopaths are primary care practitioners, meaning that you don’t need to visit your GP first to be referred. We’re not constrained by how many treatments we can give or how long we can spend with you, it’s down to our own discretion. I always spend at least an hour with new patients, to thoroughly talk through the pain, injury or discomfort and then use my extensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology to make a diagnosis.

Treatment is likely to include a mixture of hands-on massage and mobilisation, some manipulation techniques (cracking!) if appropriate, kinesiotaping if you have an acute injury and some specific exercise advice. What we won’t do is just give you a photocopied exercise sheet or plug you in to an ultrasound machine and then send you on your way – everything that we do is tailored to you specifically. Follow-up appointments will be discussed and planned to make sure that you’re happy with the care that you’re being given and each treatment based on your own progression.

So, is that what you expect from a ‘physio’? Perhaps next time you hear somebody at home, work or in the gym say that they ‘need a physio’, maybe they actually need an osteopath…