What does an Osteopath do?
An osteopath provides manual therapy to treat a wide variety of musculoskeletal problems and other functional disorders of the body, taking a 'whole of body’ approach. Osteopaths are primary care practitioners, and are trained to be able to recognise conditions that require medical referral. They are also trained to carry out standard medical examinations of the cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous system.
Osteopaths most commonly work with patients suffering from:
- Back and neck pain
- Pain in peripheral joints such as shoulders, knees and ankles, tendonitis and muscle strains
- Work-related and repetitive strain injuries
- Sports-related injuries
- General musculoskeletal conditions
Osteopaths frequently work as part of a multidisciplinary team to treat a number of chronic conditions, particularly related to musculoskeletal conditions, including maintaining mobility or rehabilitation associated with arthritis, type 2 diabetes, COPD, congestive heart failure and stroke recovery. Trigger points for referral to an osteopath include:
- Patient exhibiting mobility problems or postural problems
- Patient exhibiting lethargy and immobility leading to back or joint pain
To be eligible to provide services under the Medicare's chronic disease management items, osteopaths need to be registered with the Osteopaths Registration Board in the State or Territory in which they are practising. Most private healthcare insurers provide rebates.