Osteopathic Services
Osteopathy is a long-established branch of mainstream medicine which is based on the use of highly developed manual skills to diagnose and treat a wide variety of health problems. It is a rigorously regulated profession. Since The Osteopaths Act came into force in 1993 Osteopaths are required by law to be closely and continuously supervised by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC), ensuring only the highest standards of PROFICIENCY and SAFETY.
Contrary to popular belief Osteopathy is far from being just a treatment for bad backs. In fact Osteopaths successfully treat a huge number of painful, disabling conditions such as Neck Pain/Stiffness (eg following 'Whiplash Injury'), disorders of important joints (e.g. Knee, Hip, Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist, etc) and a variety of Sports- and Work-related injuries.
Holistic Approach
Damage to virtually any of the body structures (such as bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves) gives rise to local pain and dysfunction of course. But rather than focusing simply on these obvious symptoms Osteopaths take a much wider ('holistic') view of the patient, assessing the entire body structure and background, since disorders in one part of the body are often caused by, or influenced by, problems arising elsewhere.
It is a fundamental principle of Osteopathy that the body possesses powerful, inbuilt self-healing mechanisms which enable it to deal effectively with most disorders. But when certain physical and emotional factors arise, interfering with these self-healing mechanisms, natural healing cannot proceed.
By identifying these factors and restoring a natural 'balance' Nature is allowed to get on with the job as intended. Dr. Barry Harker has over 10 years experience in treating various ailments with Osteopathy.