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Osteopath

  1. Job Titles & Descriptions
  2. Osteopath

Osteopath Job Description

An Osteopath Is A Healthcare Professional Who Practices A System Of Manual Medicine That Focuses Primarily On The Musculoskeletal System. Osteopaths Recognise That The Body, Especially The Nervous, Circulatory And Gastro-intestinal Systems, Can Be Affected By Dysfunction In Body Structure And Tissues.

Osteopaths Use Touch, Physical Manipulation, Stretching And Massage To Treat A Patient. The Aim Is To Increase The Mobility Of Joints, To Relieve Muscle Tension And Boost The Amount Of Blood Supply To Tissues. They May Also Provide Advice On Posture And Exercise In Order To Help Patients Recover Faster And Prevent Problems Occurring Again. Patients Can Range In Age From Newborns To Older Adults.

Osteopaths Aim To Help To Reduce The Symptoms And Improve The Health And Quality Of Life Of The Patient By:

  • identifying Imbalances Within The Musculoskeletal System;
  • offering Added Exercise And Health Advice.
  • facilitating The Body's Ability To Heal Itself Through Stretching, Massage And Gentle Manipulation;

Osteopath Duties/Functions/Responsibilities

  • taking detailed case histories from new patients, including general health, specific symptoms and other details;
  • referring to and interpreting digital imagery generated by scanning techniques such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), ultrasound and x-rays.
  • making a working diagnosis;
  • planning treatment in partnership with the patient. Osteopathic treatments often involve working with the hands using soft tissue techniques, gentle release techniques and other appropriate methods of treatment, such as cranial osteopathy;
  • making lifestyle and dietary recommendations to patients, as required, regarding areas such as posture, eating, exercise and relaxation;
  • referring patients to other specialists, if required;
  • maintaining accurate and up-to-date patient records;
  • assessing the patient's general posture and checking for restrictions or tensions in joints or muscles by asking the patient to perform a series of active movements;
  • undertaking physical examinations of patients by using a highly refined sense of touch (palpation) to identify any restricted, weak or strained areas of the body;
  • taking a patient's blood pressure and making other physical assessments as necessary;

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