Osteopathic Massage

Osteopathic Massage at VS MedSpa

Osteopathy manual therapy treats back pain and spinal problems resulting from poor posture or spinal disc issues, as well as low back pain, neck pain, jaw dysfunction, hip pain, athletic / sports recovery breathing discomfort decreased or poor circulation, muscle spasms, constipation, pelvic dysfunction (especially after childbirth), tension headaches and migraine. Everyone can benefit from the treatments of an osteopath!

Most insurance companies accept osteopathic treatments as part of their health benefits plan. Our patients have been able to claim their treatments for insurance reimbursement.

My Approach to Treatment as an Osteopathic-Massage Therapist

As I have mentioned, many massage therapists learn various techniques developed by osteopaths. However, simply because you have learned and use a technique does not make the treatment osteopathic, nor make it to be what I understand as osteopathic-massage.

When I treat I am not picking and choosing which technique to use or in what order. I work from the perspective of using the principles and aims that both massage and osteopathy share. Precisely because I have spent so much time learning technique and theory, learning the purpose and principles of massage and osteopathy, I can now leave behind any recipe approach.

I no longer treat a condition with a text-book approach, nor do I follow some prescribed steps of any single technique. With each and every client, and within each treatment session, over a series of treatments, I create manipulations and approaches as I proceed. My only objective is to listen and respond to the needs of the tissue, to the client as they are right now.

This, I believe, is treating osteopathically. This is what I call osteopathic massage therapy. Meet Vadzim

Manual osteopaths use a variety of manual therapy (hands-on) techniques including joint mobilizations, muscle energy techniques (contract-relax stretching), soft tissue therapy and visceral therapy to treat the body as a whole. Due to myofascial restrictions throughout the body, visceral mobilization is used to help free up movement in other adjacent areas of the body. After a manual therapy session, your osteopath will provide you with education on how to change and improve external factors in your life, as well as teach you specific exercises and movements to help compliment your treatment.

Patients suffering from a variety of symptoms including the ones below can benefit from visiting an osteopathic manual practitioner. Note: this is not an inclusive list:

• Back pain
• Lower back pain
• Neck pain
• Back injuries and lower back injuries
• Neck injuries
• Cramps
• Migraines and Headaches
• Soft tissue muscle strains
• Spasm and ligamentous sprains
• Hand, elbow and wrist pain, including tennis elbow and golfers elbow
• Shoulder and neck pain, including frozen shoulder
• Trapped nerve, nerve pain e.g Sciatica
• Poor posture, including irritation of the facet joint
• Osteoarthritis symptoms /degenerative conditions
• Stress
• Pain in the joints ligaments
• Foot pain, Hip pain and knee pain
• TMJ jaw ache / jaw imbalance and teeth grinding
• Chronic muscle aches and pains
• Fibromyalgia and chronic pain
• Tension or stress-related problems including headaches or migraines, anxiety
• Digestive conditions such as IBS, heartburn and general indigestion
• Ligament or muscle sprains due to overuse or sports
• Allergies, including asthma, digestive sensitivities and intolerances
• Repetitive strain injuries, after surgery recovery, sports injuries and disk problems
• Peripheral injuries like shoulder pain, knee pain, hip and ankle pain
• Arthritis, including pain associated with rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis
• Symptoms relates to Pregnancy
• Tendonitis
• Post-surgery rehab (rehabilitation)
• Inability to relax
• Circulatory problems

• Be sure to drink plenty of water over the next 24 hours (approx. 2L or 8 x 8oz glasses.).
• You want to flush out and rehydrate areas that were once restricted.
• Be easy on yourself for 24 hours. This means no physical, strenuous activity.
• Your body needs time to adjust to the new structural positioning.
• You may experience new symptoms, that are possibly old symptoms arising as the next layers are revealed.
• These new symptoms are not to be alarmed at, take notice of them, and realize that the treatment is having an effect.
• You may also experience fatigue and/or flu-like symptoms ie. nausea, again these are symptoms associated with the body realigning
• The affects of the osteopathic massage treatment can be felt immediately and up to a couple of days after the treatment.
• Be aware of these changes for the next treatment.