Osteopathy Treatments

Osteopathy & Pregnancy

During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes numerous changes, both hormonally and structurally.

Early stages of pregnancy may be associated with symptoms such as nausea, morning sickness, headache, dizziness and fatigue. As the pregnancy progresses, the extra weight creates a shift in the body’s centre of gravity (forward weight carriage), an alteration of the spinal curves and relaxation and softening of the muscles and supporting ligaments of the body. These changes may cause an increase in mechanical stress to the musculoskeletal system, resulting in pain and discomfort.

The most common complaints associated with pregnancy include:

• Lower back and buttock pain.
• Sciatica (leg pain).
• Neck, shoulder and middle back pain.
• Headaches.
• Pelvic girdle instability.
• Sacro-iliac Joint pain.
• Pubic symphysis pain.
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
• Pelvic floor weakness and incontinence.
• Poor abdominal tone.

Is it safe to have osteopathic treatment during pregnancy?

Absolutely! The osteopathic techniques used to treat a pregnant woman are both gentle and carefully selected to ensure that the mother-to-be is comfortable at all times.

Should I have an osteopathic treatment following the birth of my newborn?

Many new mothers receive osteopathic treatment following the birth of their newborn in order to correct the body imbalances that may be present, particularly to the pelvis, lower back and mid back region. Ask your osteopath when it would be appropriate to commence your osteopathic treatment following the delivery of your newborn.

Osteopathy & Seniors

Ageing is a natural physiological process in life. One part of the body which is greatly affected by the process of ageing is the musculoskeletal system.

As we get older, the elasticity present within our body deteriorates, which increases the risk of injuring the soft tissues and bony structures of the body.

The effects of ageing on the body’s structure give rise to symptoms, including:

• Generalised early morning stiffness and reduced mobility.
• Lower back pain and stiffness.
• Neck, shoulder, arm or hand pain.
• Hip, knee and foot pain.
• Arthritic pain and joint swelling.

However gentle osteopathic treatment, consisting of soft tissue massage, articulation and stretching, can be used to relieve these distressing symptoms.

Furthermore, osteopathy can also help with:

• Rehabilitation following surgery/replacement (for example: back, hip or knee).
• Keeping shoulders, hands and wrists mobile for tasks of daily living, including cooking, writing and driving.
• Avoiding or delaying the need for surgery.
• Exercise prescription.

Osteopathy & Sports

At North Melbourne Osteopathy we treat a wide range of sports athletes from professional sports men and women to weekend ‘warriors’.

We appreciate the frustration that is experienced when an injury occurs and how vital it is to receive the correct diagnosis and prognosis to best treatment and manage your injury.

Our osteopaths treat a wide range of sporting injuries, including:

• Muscle strains to the neck and back.
• Ligament sprains to the ankle and wrist.
• Hip, knee and leg injuries. For example: shin splints, patellar tendonitis, hamstring, groin and calf strains.
• Shoulder and elbow injuries. For example: rotator cuff tendinopathy, tennis and golfers elbow.
• Whiplash.
• Back spasms.
• Trauma.

Consistent with our holistic approach to treatment, our osteopaths not only treat the actual muscle strain or ligament sprain but also look at the underlying cause of the injury and correct any postural or biomechanical imbalance which may have resulted in the injury occurring in the first instance or may have occurred in response to the injury.

A tailored stretching and strengthening program is also provided, enabling a return to your chosen sport as quickly as possible. If required, our osteopaths may refer you for X-ray analysis or to a sports physician for a second opinion.                                                

Return to work and Play after injury

Return to play refers to the point in recovery from an injury when a person is able to go back to playing sports or participate in an activity at a preinjury level.

No one likes to be sidelined with an injury. One of the goals of sports medicine is to try to get an athlete back into action as soon as possible. Returning too soon, before adequate healing or recovery has taken place, can put you at risk for re-injury and possibly an even longer down time.

With the right game plan for sports and work related injuries—from early diagnosis and treatment to full functional rehabilitation—you can often safely accelerate your return to play.

Tips to Speed Your Recovery

• Maintain balanced physical conditioning
• Make sure that injuries are recognized early and treated promptly
• Participate in a full functional rehabilitation program
• Stay fit while injured
• Keep a positive, upbeat mental attitude

Your Recovery Plan: PHASES

Recovery from an injury involves a series of logical steps from the time of the injury until you are able to be back on the field or work. Each step should be outlined and monitored by your physician and physical therapist.

During the acute phase of injury, the focus should be on minimizing swelling. This involves the RICE formula (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation), along with a limitation of activities. Depending on the type and severity of your injury, treatment may also involve surgery, bracing, or even casting.

During the acute period, it is very important to maintain overall conditioning while the injury heals. Creative techniques can be used to safely work around the injury. For example, a runner with a leg injury can often run in water or use a stationary bicycle to maintain conditioning. Even if one leg is in a cast, the rest of the body can be exercised by performing strength-training exercises. Do not wait until your injury is healed to get back into shape.

In the next phase of recovery, you should work on regaining full motion and strength of the injured limb or joint. Your physician, therapist, or certified athletic trainer will outline an exact plan. For most injuries, gentle protective range-of-motion exercises can be started almost immediately. Muscle tone can be maintained with the use of electrical stimulation or simple strengthening exercises.

When strength returns to normal, functional drills can be started. For lower extremity injuries, this may include brisk walking, jumping rope, hopping, or light jogging. For upper extremity injuries, light throwing or easy ground strokes can be performed. Specific exercises for balance and agility can bring back the coordination that may have been lost in the injury.

Once you have progressed with motion, strength, endurance, and agility, and are tolerating functional drills, you can try higher levels of sport and work-specific movement patterns. This is monitored by your physical therapist or certified athletic trainer. You may find that tape, braces, or supports help during this transition time.

Only when you are practicing hard without significant difficulty, and the healing has progressed to the point where the likelihood of injury or harm is low, are you ready to return to play. During these final phases of recovery, you should be closely monitored. Special attention should be given to adequate warm up prior to the activity and icing after the activity.

WorkCover, TAC, DVA & EPC Services

WorkCover, TAC, DVA & EPC Services

• North Melbourne Osteopathy is an approved service provider for WorkCover and Transport Accident Commission (TAC) Insurance claims. Cover for these services must be arranged with your insurance company. It is essential that you provide your claim number and contact details at the time of your initial consultation.
• Please note that a $20.00 gap fee is charged for osteopathic treatment claimed under WorkCover and TAC
• TAC and WorkCover clients who have an approved claim and have been issued a claim number will have their payment processed at the time of your consultation with an out of pocket expense of $20. (Note people who have no capacity to work due to injuries sustained will not be charged the $20 gap fee)
• If this is your first claim your employer will have to pay for excess for the reasonable costs of treatment up to a certain amount. This means you will have to pay up front for treatment and then be reimbursed directly from your employer until the excess is reached.

If osteopathic treatment is required you will need to:

• Provide us with the referral from your GP and complete the necessary paperwork and pain scales that we will provide you.
• Pay for your consultations on the day.
• Request reimbursement from your employer and/or TAC.
• Please check the TAC website for current information regarding “Making a claim” or Work Safe website for current information regarding “Making a claim”.

Return To Work Plan:

• A rehabilitation (or return to work) program is based on the principle that were possible we can allow a coordinated return to work.
• The program is delivered according to medical advice and where necessary the use of a rehabilitation provider.

Rehabilitation aims to do one of two things:

• maintain the injured employee within the workplace
• return them to appropriate employment in a timely, safe and cost efficient manner.

A return to work plan as part of a rehabilitation program should:

• be developed in consultation with the injured employee and the treating medical practitioner
• be tailored, outcome-based and set out the steps to achieve return to work
• be available to an employee with a work capacity (unless contraindicated, for example where the employee has retired)
• be developed using appropriate expertise, such as approved rehabilitation providers, where required
• recognise the existing skills, experience and capabilities of the injured employee to allow suitable duties to be found
• if necessary, utilise retraining and redeployment when it is not possible for the employee to return to pre-injury duties.

Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA)

• DVA will be directly billed to Medicare. There is no out of pocket expense.
• DVA Gold Card holders require referral letter from their GP.
• DVA White Card holders require a referral letter from their GP and pre-approval from DVA before their consultation.

Enhanced Primary Care Plan (EPC) & Chronic Disease Management Plan (CDM)

Please note that our Clinic does not Bulk Bill. Therefore, patients eligible to claim under Medicare’s Enhanced Primary Care Plan will have to pay for their treatment in full and then be reimbursed the Medicare Rebate.

Claiming Medicare Rebate:

• Take fully paid invoice into Medicare office for reimbursement, or
• We can process the claim electronically using our HICAPS terminal (on day of consult).

Rebate using HICAPS terminal

• Pay for consultation by Eftpos or Credit card.
• We swipe your Medicare card and enter details of your EPC referral.
• We swipe your bank card for reimbursement.
• Money is reimbursed into your cheque or savings account within 24 hours.
• Osteopathy is covered by all private health funds we can process your claim electronically using our HICAPS machine (on day of consult)

Please note that we cannot reimburse in cash or to a credit card.