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Frequently Asked Questions

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FAQ - Helpful Information:

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1.1 Which services do you offer at your clinic? 

We do offer:

- manual osteopathy 

-massage therapy (remedial massage therapy, relaxation  massage therapy (Swedish massage).

1.2 What is Osteopathy?

If you have never heard about Osteopathy, its not easy to "put it in two words" or explain it. Osteopathy is an alternative medicine approach to the body as a holistic system, where all elements are connected and interdependent through the basic physiological levels: 
- musculoskeletal (biomechanical),
-  respiratory (circulatory),
- neurological,
- metabolic (bioenergetic),
- behavioural (psychological)
If you need more info, please search the information you are interested in (as an example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteopathy)

2. You are fully booked.

A lot of specialists are fully booked, although regular clients could have their appointments pretty regular. Please be advised, that you schedule your appointment sufficiently in advance. Depending on the season there is a waiting list of approximately 2-8 weeks. So please be forethought. Manual osteopathy is not an emergency service, nor a medical service, and the treatment process is usually pretty soft, slow and natural, so the first appointment usually is not a matter of urgent care. Please be advised, if your condition is acute and urgent, it's highly recommended to visit your medical doctor or emergency department. So even if you can`t book your first (initial) appointment at your earliest convenience, you can always book your first appointment at any available date and any further appointments after that with any desirable sequence you expect. That way you will have as many and as often appointments, as you want. 

3.1 Difference between Osteopath (DO) and Manual Osteopath (DOMP) in Canada

- Osteopath (it is a Doctor, graduated from US Osteopathic Medical School, DO title is protected)  
AND
Osteopathic Manual Practitioner (it is a practitioner, authorized to provide an osteopathic treatment only (such an osteoarticular mobilization, muscle energy technique, soft tissue technique, visceral OMT, craniosacral OMT, some other techniques), but not to make some medical acts such (not diagnose, not prescribe medicine, not reading x-rays, not do surgery, etc), because such acts are protected by law.
Because manual osteopath is not allowed to diagnose and make medical prescriptions and other protected acts, if you are in acute pain, and you are really sick or have an unclear condition,  it's better to visit your MD for a check-up first. If there are no contraindications for osteopathic treatment, you are more than welcome to book an appointment.

3.2 Difference between remedial massage therapy and relaxation massage therapy (Swedish massage).

The main difference between remedial and relaxation massage is that the remedial massage is more focused on the specific techniques of the assessment and treatment of the body. Relaxation massage it is the classical sequence of the classical massage techniques of the Swedish massage as Effleurage, Petrissage, Tapotement, Friction, Vibration, aiming to improve overall body condition and wellbeing with no emphasis on the assessment or treatment. 

3.3 Is Manual Osteopathy the same as Massage Therapy?

No. Those are two different modalities, and approaches, which are covered differently by insurance. It does not overlap in any sense and can't be replaced with each other or rendered on the same day for the same person.

4. Insurance coverage

If you are most concerned, would you be covered by your insurance or not, please check it beforehand with your insurer (provider credentials will be provided upon request). However, if you are seriously interested in maintaining your health, using osteopathy or massage therapy as one of the preventive health approaches, the insurance coverage won`t play a big part, as they usually cover just 300-500CAD (2-5 sessions per year), which unlikely makes a serious contribution into changing your condition. Regular osteopathic, massage treatments could be one of the effective strategies for your healthy lifestyle. However, massage therapy depending on the client's insurance policy, is usually covered by most of insurances. Manual Osteopathy is covered by the majority of insurances as well. 

5.1 Osteopathy is not a miracle. 

Osteopathy does not make miracles, like any method of treatment. Osteopathy could make things better softly and slowly in your body, according to the previous health condition in the last years, and your current lifestyle effort. The secret of success is always in the client`s willingness, consistency, energy, approach and efforts to live healthily. Manual osteopath could be a good tool and loyal assistant in that way. So please do not expect quick changes. Also, there are can't be any guarantees of any treatment results in any individual cases, as well as manual osteopathy does not provide any prognosis or diagnosis of any conditions. Please refer to your medical doctor regards this information.

5.2 Why do sometimes I can feel worse after the treatments? 
Our mind and body are amazing tools helping and supporting us for our whole life. If we have some dysfunction, especially if it's a chronic problem, with time, our brain is trying to do its best and its masking the pain or discomfort impulses outcoming from the problem spot to make our life as much better as possible. Now, when we start the treatment, we emphasize and focus our attention at the problem location, making it more noticeable to the brain, causing recovery changes. This way we just start to feel the problem place as is, with no any masking, we literally meet our problem face to face with no side support. But it feels like as escalation of the condition. In fact - its real zero point of our therapeutic way to the health.  
6. How often should I visit you?

Clients often ask for recommendations about how often should they visit an osteopathic practitioner. There are some general guidelines to attend osteopathic treatments once per 2-3 weeks to maintain optimal condition,  but honestly, it's all about your intuition. In general, your body will prompt you when you really need a follow-up visit. Life is not flat. Sometimes we have stressful periods and we need more care about ourselves - so more constant treatments could help. Sometimes there is a period of relaxation and we prefer to focus on the wellness aspect of osteopathy, sometimes it's a routine - and steady, regular sessions would be an optimal decision. So I would say, listening to yourself carefully - is the best approach. 

7. I have (name of your disease). Could you help me?
Its so common easy question, which is always very hard to answer. First of all, to be absolutely honest with you, the correct answer would be: "I don't know. I just know that I will do my best to help". 
Why I don't (can't) know.
- Because the problem you declared could have a great number of possible reasons, variations, individual reactions and consequences, finally millions of options. Each option would have its own answer. 
-  If you have a question about the medical condition, which consists of the name of the disease, you should refer to your Medical Doctor directly for the answer. Why? First of all, manual osteopaths do not hold a "Doctor" title in Canada (like Doctors of Osteopathy in US). They are practitioners. That's why manual osteopaths in Canada cant diagnose, prognosis, or prescribe medicine for any condition. 
- Manual osteopaths have absolutely different protocols from the Medical Doctors, so they are not deal with and help with traditional diagnoses and disorders. It's not their scope of practice. So if you have some questions about your disease, medical treatment, diagnosis, prognosis, condition, terminology, interpretation of the medical tests, or prescriptions, please refer to your Medical Doctor. 
- Manual osteopaths can perform osteopathic functional musculoskeletal assessment and treatment, which means manually working with the body, optimizing the posture, and muscle tone, releasing the fascia and improving the mobility and vitality of the client. 
- Manual osteopaths can't guarantee directly or indirectly any treatment results in any way, according to the Code of Ethics and because the client`s condition is a result of multiple physiological, psychological, social, economic, genetical, environmental, personal, and unpredictable factors, which no one never ever can predict. So why give a chance for guessing, if a manual osteopath can help or not. If even the specialist helped 99 with (for example) arthritis 99 times in a row and the 100`th person is asking "Can you help me?" What would be the honest and true answer? "I don't know".  Yes, you can find the specialist who will guarantee some results for you, which you want. Its not my business.  But the reality is: "Nobody knows this answer". 
- Manual osteopath will spend 1 hour per week (month) with you trying to help. You will be with you all the rest of the time. Because you are living with yourself, your background, environment, and genetics - 24/7. So that's why the more important is not what happens during the treatment, but what will be happening after the treatment. Would the client change his habits, way of thinking, stress reactions, diet, physical culture, hygiene, and healthy lifestyle? That would be the main factor of success. 
- Please be aware that a manual osteopath`s role - is to be an assistant in the client`s way of self-improvement, self-correction, and self-responsibility. Please get your priorities right and set realistic goals. It will help to achieve the best results. 

- So Manual Osteopath or Remedial Massage Therapist in Canada does not treat or diagnose the disease but deal with the somatic dysfunction, contributing to overall healing. 
- Considering all mentioned above, I am asking my clients to formulate their requests to me as to the manual osteopath. I believe that the specific and comprehensive formulation of the treatment goal is the first important step to health convalescence.  

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It would be a great honour to have you as a client. So happy that you care about your Heath.