Osteopathy is a system of medicine, developed in the early part of the 20th century, that treats dysfunction anywhere in the human body through a focus on the musculo-skeletal system and its neurological, vascular and visceral interactions. Nowadays osteopathy is seen as one of the various forms of manual (or manipulative) therapy; however there more to osteopathy than this.

The profession was established by Andrew Taylor Still in 1892. Osteopathy has been practiced in the UK since 1917. In 1993 the Osteopaths Act was passed, making it a criminal offence for someone to call themselves an osteopath who is not registered with the General Osteopathic Council. This register came into being in May 2000.

In 1993 Osteopathy became the first complementary health care profession to be accorded statutory recognition.

Osteopathy is the development of two of the oldest forms of treatment known to man: massage and manipulation. It seeks to treat injury and disease by enhancing the body's own natural healing process.

Over the years osteopathy has perhaps become synonymous with the treatment of spinal pain - after all, low back pain is common and it affects daily life dramatically. But in reality osteopathy also helps pain and dysfunction in other parts of the body (e.g. ankles, knees, elbows, ribs etc.), as well as helping the functioning of important areas such as the thorax, abdomen and pelvis.

Osteopathy moves beyond just fixing symptoms, though this is the first priority. Rather it aims to effectively make changes so that symptoms are much less likely to return in the future. Sometimes the causes (there is rarely just one!) lie outside the body (e.g. the ergonomics of an office workstation, a car seat and so on) or sometimes they lie 'within' the body (e.g. a stiff unyielding part of the spine, a poor sleep pattern).

But it can be more than this - osteopathy can help a variety of other problems ranging from headaches, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other 'functional' disorders. Very often, actions to improve sleep, breathing, posture, nutrition and exercise can make a world of difference.

Osteopathy for pain relief
Pain is a warning signal that something is wrong. It is the body's natural defence mechanism to alert you to a problem. Osteopaths diagnose the cause of pain and can do a lot to reduce the level of your pain and suffering, whether it is a long-standing condition or a new injury.