Osteopathy - what actually happens?

[Jericho]

No particular issue with my gelding other than he has a tendency to be quite rigid in the neck and having finished the eventing season and during his winter break I thought I would use the time to give him a good detox, health check, teeth done etc and also get an osteopath to see him. (He was seen half a dozen times over the season by a physio doing all the usual stretches and massages just to keep any stiffness/ soreness at bay from working on the hard ground). We were recommended an osteopath who has worked wonders apparently on humans and equines and she has been a few times and is lovely but very little seems to happen - her work is very quiet and subtle and she mainly just lies her hands on his back for 45 mins. She says she can see changes in him and can feel him releasing and he does seem to walk a little looser after but I don't know... There is no stretching, manipulation, movement, massage involved - is this what you would expect from an osteopath (most people I have spoken to or videos I have watched seem to 'do' quite a lot more?

thoughts ....

 

[Tiddlypom]

It doesn't sound like osteopathy to me. Are you sure she's an osteopath, and if so which professional body is she registered with?

I use an osteo (along with other body workers) on my horses. There's some massage but also a fair bit of crunchy (non techie term!) adjustment, including long lever ones. His wife (also an osteo) treats me, and whilst she can be gentle, it's a lot more physical than the 'laying on of hands.

ETA This is the registered equine osteo that I use. There's some useful general stuff on his page.

http://www.equineosteopath.co.uk/

 

[be positive]

It doesn't sound like osteopathy to me. Are you sure she's an osteopath, and if so which professional body is she registered with?

I use an osteo (along with other body workers) on my horses. There's some massage but also a fair bit of crunchy (non techie term!) adjustment, including long lever ones. His wife (also an osteo) treats me, and whilst she can be gentle, it's a lot more physical than the 'laying on of hands).

ETA This is the registered equine osteo that I use. There's some useful general stuff on his page.

http://www.equineosteopath.co.uk/

This, I have used an equine osteo and found her very hands on with much the same approach as the ACPAT physio, she certainly doesn't do anything like you describe in the OP being very physical, she rarely uses machines and is rather outspoken about the new methods being used which are more passive and in her view less effective, one treatment is usually enough and she leaves us with stretches to do as part of the maintenance.

 

[Alibear]

As the others have said mine doesn't tend to do too much crunch click stuff but definitely does some on each visit (2-3) along with facia massage.

 

[Leo Walker]

I use one for myself and the horse. They do fascia release and massagey stuff, and muscle manipulation, theres usually a bit of crunching each session though. And lots of movement assessment before and after. They always tell me what they are doing and why.

 

[Smogul]

No particular issue with my gelding other than he has a tendency to be quite rigid in the neck and having finished the eventing season and during his winter break I thought I would use the time to give him a good detox, health check, teeth done etc and also get an osteopath to see him. (He was seen half a dozen times over the season by a physio doing all the usual stretches and massages just to keep any stiffness/ soreness at bay from working on the hard ground). We were recommended an osteopath who has worked wonders apparently on humans and equines and she has been a few times and is lovely but very little seems to happen - her work is very quiet and subtle and she mainly just lies her hands on his back for 45 mins. She says she can see changes in him and can feel him releasing and he does seem to walk a little looser after but I don't know... There is no stretching, manipulation, movement, massage involved - is this what you would expect from an osteopath (most people I have spoken to or videos I have watched seem to 'do' quite a lot more?

thoughts ....

Is she using Bowen technique? Nothing very visible when this is done but both horses who were treated with it did seem to benefit