FAQ

Yes, we do have HICAPS. All major health funds offer a rebate for Osteopathy fees under the extras table, check with your fund to confirm you are covered. If you bring your health fund card to your consult your claim can be processed on line so that you only pay the gap amount on the day. Alternatively you can pay and claim later if you do not have your card with you.

Yes. We accept Visa, MasterCard, AMEX and debit cards.

Not as a private patient. Osteopaths are primary contact health practitioners so you can go directly to an Osteopath for your initial consultation as a private patient. If you seek treatment under workers compensation, MVA third party claim, Veteran’s Affairs or Medicare Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) you will need a referral from your GP in order to claim Osteopathy fees under these schemes.

Osteopathy recognises the relationship between structure and function.   A simple analogy is the garden hose. If it is twisted (distorted structure) it can’t function optimally. Similarly if our human structure is compromised due to posture, injury, emotional, traumatic or lifestyle patterns then our physiology is compromised. Circulation, nerve supply, hormone secretion etc are compromised. So when our body is “tuned well” it performs well! An osteopath’s role lies in diagnosing and treating the factors that inhibit health thus restoring balance in the body through natural, non-invasive, hands-on techniques.

• Stretching and releasing connective tissues, e.g. muscles, tendons and fascia that inhibit mobility
• Strengthening unstable joint through muscle conditioning
• Enhancing circulation and lymphatic drainage
• Improving nerve supply
• Educating about diet, exercise and lifestyle choices.

An initial consultation includes a full history, structural assessment, treatment and prescription of exercises. This will take up to an hour. A subsequent consultation will require approximately half an hour.

Every individual case is different due to many variables. The following may be a useful guide only. Acute or recent muscle and joint problems commonly respond well in 2-3 visits.  Longer standing, chronic conditions may take longer e.g. 6-10 visits after which your condition will be reviewed to determine if you would benefit from further Osteopathy treatments or if referral to another type of therapy is more appropriate. While we may recommend a “quarterly maintenance schedule” we DO NOT advocate prolonged treatment week after week without results. Our aim is to help you self-manage ASAP

The aim of a first visit to an osteopath is to develop a picture of the patient’s overall health status, how they developed the current condition and a plan of action to move toward their optimal health.

A complete medical history will be taken.  Some questions may not seem to relate to the “sore part”, yet may help clarify how the condition has occurred or why it has not resolved.

This is followed by a structural assessment of the range and quality of several joint movements while the patient stands, sits, walks and bends etc.  Outer clothing may need to be removed to show mobility and tissue responses.  Neurological and orthopaedic tests help the osteopath to eliminate other possible causes and to differentiate the basis of the individual’s complaint.

Osteopaths are trained to manually locate points of restriction or strain in various parts of the body.  Using palpation, or finely tuned sense of touch and movement, the osteopath assesses the spine, joints, muscles, and other soft tissues.

At this stage if any other information is needed; e.g. X-Rays or blood tests, the patient may be referred accordingly.  Also if a particular condition requires the help of another health professional, the patient is referred to them.  Osteopaths often treat in conjunction with a GP, dentist, podiatrist, naturopath or other health professionals.

Once a diagnosis has been made, a treatment plan will be discussed which may include manual therapy, exercise, dietary changes, or lifestyle modification.  Treatment approaches are highly individualised and are a function of: current condition, past history and the ability of the patient to adapt to change.  Allow approximately one hour for your initial consultation.

Osteopathy could be described in simple, lay terms as “holistic manual medicine”. Osteopathy is a system of health care that focuses on diagnosis and treatment of the physical body’s structure in order to optimise physiological functioning.  Manual palpation and Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy (OMT) are used in conjunction with biomechanical, orthopaedic and neurological clinical assessment. Osteopathy is best know for treatment of musculo-skeletal disorders such as back and neck pain, sciatica, sporting injuries and postural strain, however it can also assist in the treatment of breathing disorders, otitis media, digestive problems and menstrual problems.  Put simply, optimising structural balance allows the physiology to perform optimally. The practice of osteopathy combines current medical knowledge with the osteopathic philosophy. Scientific plausibility and evidence-based outcomes have a high priority in patient treatment and case management.  Osteopathy is a patient centred approach to health care rather than disease centred. Osteopaths asses and treat the whole person, not just the symptomatic region.  So for example if a patient presents with headache they will be structurally assessed from head to toe.  This is because the primary cause may be remote from the symptoms. For example; Unilateral pes plannus > functional leg length discrepancy>pelvic torsion>scoliosis>cervicogenic tension headache.  This cause would only be detected with an holistic assessment. The philosophy of osteopathy is based on four key principles:

1. The body is a functional unit composed of interrelating parts or systems.
2. The body has a tendency to homeostasis.  The body’s natural tendency is to self regulate.
3. Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.  Changes to structure influence function and conversely changes to function influence structure.
4. Rational treatment is based on the above three principles.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised the Osteopathic concept of somatic dysfunction as being scientifically proven, and the British Medical Association also recognised Osteopathy as a discrete medicinal discipline.

An osteopath is a highly qualified primary health care professional.  They are trained to diagnose their patients’ problems, selecting those they can help and knowing when to refer those with a need for other medical care. Hence osteopathic and medical students receive a very similar basic medical education. The osteopathic student has advanced training in detailed examination and diagnosis of body structure and mechanics. They receive training in anatomy, physiology, orthopedics and interpersonal communication not to mention intensive training in osteopathic manipulative therapy.

This education involves five years of full time study resulting in a Bachelor of Science and Masters Degree in Osteopathy.

Members of the Australian Osteopathic Association are committed to compulsory, ongoing post-graduate education.

This means that:

• Osteopaths are currently registered with the Department of Health in each state of Australia. From mid 2010 regulation will be national.
• No referral is necessary to see an osteopath as a private patient.
• Osteopathic treatment is covered by private health insurance, third party insurance, workers’ compensation and Medicare EPC

Usually patients are prescribed a tailored home exercise program to support treatment and help prevent reoccurrence of your problem.

Best results are achieved when the patient is actively involved in exercise supportive to Osteopathic treatment.

Research has shown that back pain, like other pain syndromes, is less likely to recur in patients that have manual / manipulative therapy and prescriptive exercise together compared with control groups that only underwent manipulative treatment or exercise therapy alone.

At Vital Lifestyle we provide tailored exercise prescriptions for our patients to reinforce what is done in treatment and prevent recurrence of the presenting problem. A balance of stretching and strengthening exercise on a regular basis is essential to healthy joint function in our busy, sedentary, modern world.