Osteopathy

Aside from a marching band parade* to welcome you into the Bodytech Sandringham Osteo clinic**, you can expect:

• To be the centre of attention!

• A thorough history-taking process: this means a lot of questions about what it is that’s bringing you into the clinic, as well as some questions about your past medical history.

• A thorough physical examination: this will involve your osteopath assessing your posture, movement testing, muscle testing, and any examination techniques they deem appropriate (all examination techniques are non-invasive).

• Treatment: see “What osteopathy principles and techniques do we use?”

• Management strategies: this may include stretches, exercises, general advice and referral.

Allow for 60 minutes for an initial osteopathy consultation & 30-45 minutes for all subsequent standard osteopathy consultations.

*Marching Band Parade will only be available on public holidays

**The clinic is closed on all public holidays

For osteopathy treatment at our Bodytech Sandringham Osteo clinic:

New patient initial 60-minute consultation - $120

Return patient subsequent 45-minute appointment - $98

In general, you may feel some change within 1-4 treatments.

However, it is dependent upon your condition. Each individual is unique and therefore some people will require more or less treatment before they see improvement.

Our osteopaths will discuss this with you as it may also depend on how long you have been in pain, the type and the intensity of your pain and how it is affecting your activities of daily living.

Absolutely not! If you have one, great! But in Australia, Osteopaths can be seen without a referral. Simply make an appointment with us online or by phone.

If you are eligible for a Team Care Arrangement (TCA) or Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) plan, you will need to discuss this with your GP who will then provide you with the necessary referral so that we can process it at your appointment (just don’t forget to bring your Medicare card if that’s the case!).

Our osteopathy services at Bodytech Osteo & Health are covered by private health insurance. How much you get back depends on your level of cover, and how much you may have already used throughout the year.

You can claim your instant private health rebate directly on the spot with our HICAPS terminal which means lower out-of-pocket expenses for you, and more $$$ for your oat latte.

Yes, we accept Chronic Disease Management Plans (CDM), formerly Enhanced Primary Care Plans or EPC.

If you have a chronic medical condition and complex care needs, you may be eligible for funding through Medicare for up to 5 treatments per calendar year under the Chronic Disease Management Plan (formerly Enhanced Primary Care Plan or EPC) on referral from your GP.

If you are eligible for a Team Care Arrangement (TCA) or Chronic Disease Management Plan (CDM), you will need to discuss this with your GP who will then provide you with the necessary referral so that we can process it at your appointment. Just don’t forget to bring your Medicare card along if that’s the case!

Osteopaths treat bones, right? Wrong! Osteopathy is an approach to health care that is considered to be holistic in its methodology. This means your physical, mental and emotional circumstances are taken into account to paint a clearer picture of your presentation.

Osteopathy at Bodytech Osteo & Health encompasses manual therapy, biomechanical counselling, rehabilitation and most importantly, education. We strive to help you understand what’s going on so you feel totally empowered when you leave.

Osteopathy is one of ten regulated healthcare professions in Australia. Osteopaths are government-registered health practitioners with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), which requires continuous professional development and learning every year. With five years of full-time accredited university study in the field of clinical health science, Osteopaths are trained to specialise in the assessment, treatment, diagnosis and management of the musculoskeletal system.

Central to osteopathy is the study of ‘biomechanics’ – how each part of the musculoskeletal system interacts with and influences every other part. Osteopaths focus on how your skeleton, joints, muscles, nerves, circulation, connective tissue and internal organs function as a holistic unit. Any joint or muscle injury must be treated as part of the whole body, since other parts of the musculoskeletal system will also be affected.

Osteopaths are qualified in examining the physical body to address and identify the area of complaint as well as other areas of the body as contributing factors including the cardiovascular, neurological, respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal and reproductive systems. They can also recognise if further investigation or referral is required.

Osteopaths use a combination of techniques including hands-on manual therapy such as massage and the manipulation of muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons, as well as exercise prescription and lifestyle advice for healing, rehabilitation and optimising function. Some Osteopaths may focus heavily on manual therapy, others may focus more on exercise prescription and rehabilitation, while some like to incorporate both.

Every Osteopath will treat differently. This is because every practitioner becomes influenced by factors including graduate training, post-graduate training, special interests, and what they like and don't like. This in itself is why different people respond to the same practitioner differently. It’s very important to gain a solid rapport with your Osteopath based on what treatment you prefer and respond to, in relation to what kinds of treatments they tend to 'give'.

You will no doubt find that if you compare one Osteopath to another, they might use techniques that are very similar or very different. This is purely based on what each practitioner finds to work best for them and their patients. Most importantly, it is absolutely vital that you feel comfortable with your practitioner whoever they may be.

Osteopathy can look different depending on where you go. At Bodytech Osteo & Health, Osteopathy we use a very hands-on approach. This means your Osteopath may ask you to remove certain items of clothing (only if you are comfortable doing so) in order for them to assess and treat the relevant areas.

A range of manual therapy techniques may be used during treatment including (but not limited to):

• Soft tissue massage

• Stretching

• Joint manipulation & articulation

• Muscle energy technique (MET)

• High velocity-low amplitude manipulation (HVLA)

• Dry needling

• Cupping therapy

• Rigid and dynamic taping

• Exercise prescription

Aside from manual therapy, there is also a huge emphasis on rehabilitation and management. This means your Osteopath will most likely give you exercises to do outside of the treatment room. Think of it like this: You spend 30 - 60 minutes with your Osteopath every week (if that!), so what are you doing for the rest of the time to help yourself? This is why rehab and management are so important! But don’t fret. We will do our best to ensure your management integrates into your everyday life seamlessly so you don’t even notice you’re doing it!

To find out about common osteopathic techniques used, read more here.

We treat musculoskeletal conditions affecting all areas of the body including the spine, arms, legs, feet, toes, hands, pinky fingers, elbows, head, ears - we love treating all of the bits!

Common conditions which present to the Bodytech Sandringham osteo clinic include (but are not limited to):

• Headaches and migraines

• Neck pain

• Shoulder pain and injuries

• Hip pain

• Knee pain

• Lower and upper back pain

• Jaw and TMJ pain

• Ankle and foot pain

• Elbow and wrist pain

• Pelvic pain

• Pregnancy pain & discomfort

• Sports injuries

• Children’s health

Contact us to find out more if you’re unsure as to how we could help.

At Bodytech Osteo & Health we treat anyone over the age of 10 (a parental guardian will need to be present for those under 18 years). In some cases, we may treat the younger tykes (4 - 10 years) but this will be on a case-by-case basis.

Aside from age, we treat weekend warriors, office workers, elite athletes, tradies, people who watch Seinfeld, people who skateboard, those who surf, those crafty types who do pottery or sew etc. We can treat anyone regardless of their hobby, sport or lack thereof. We actually pride ourselves on trying to understand what it is you put your body through so if we aren’t familiar with whatever it is you do in your spare time, rest assured we will be asking a lot of questions about it!

A very common question! One that is best answered by those who have been to all 3 and can reflect on the approach of each modality. Generally speaking, each profession has the same desired outcome - to help you move & feel better - they all just have a different way of achieving that outcome.

You may visit both a Physio and an Osteo, and find that they both treat quite similarly. You may then visit a different Physio and Osteo, and find they treat quite differently. Even within each profession, you will find that there can be huge differences in the way your case may be approached. It really is about finding the practitioner that works well for you and your body. Read more here.