What is Osteopathy?
“A natural medicine which aims to restore function in the body by treating the causes of pain and imbalance. To achieve this goal the Osteopathic Manual Practitioner relies on the quality and finesse of his/her palpation and works with the position, mobility and quality of the tissues.”
(Canadian College of Osteopathy)
"Osteopathy is a client-centered discipline that is based on understanding the relationship between structure and function in order to enhance the body’s inherent ability to heal. It relies on skilled manual therapeutic techniques to assess and treat the client, guiding the natural self-healing properties of the human body" (Ontario Association of Osteopathy).
Osteopath vs Osteopathic Manual Practitioner?
In Canada, the term Osteopath belongs to the College of Physicians and Surgeons and is reserved for medical doctors who have received Osteopathic training. You can not claim to be an Osteopath in Canada unless you have an MD. There are very few DO's operating in Canada. The term Osteopathic Manual Practitioner is reserved for those who have completed training at a private Osteopathic College in Canada. There is currently no governing body overseeing Osteopathy in Canada. This means there are Osteopathic Practitioners, including DOMP's operating in Canada with varying levels of training and education. Our Osteopathic practitioners are either enrolled in, or have completed training at the Canadian College of Osteopathy or at a College deemed legitimate by the Ontario Association of Osteopathy. The DOMP designation is reserved for Osteopathic Manual Practitioners. The D.Sc.O. with D.O.M.P. designation is exclusively granted by the CCO after five years of schooling and the completion of a University level research thesis defended in front of a panel of International Osteopaths and DOMPs. We believe it to be the most extensive training available in Ontario.
What can I expect on my first visit?
On your first visit, a complete health history will be conducted, and your current medical conditions and your treatment options will be discussed. Several different manual osteopathic techniques are typically used to treat a single patient in a treatment session. It is preferable if you wear loose and comfortable clothing for all treatment sessions. It is typical to require more than one treatment to resolve any problems. (which is why you should book 2 to 3 follow-up appointments when you book your initial visit)
Do my benefits cover osteopathy?
Osteopathy is covered by many benefit plans. Any Osteopathic treatments performed by a DOMP will be billed as Osteopathy. Insurance companies are aware that all osteopathy colleges, schools and associations are not equal and recognize them on their own merits individually, or not at all. Our practitioners belong to various Associations. Paul and Sara are members in good standing with the Ontario Association of Osteopathy (OAO) ( see link below ) and as such are covered under most insurance plans. Sam is a member of ACMA and CRMO and is covered by the larger insurance companies. When submitting for Benefit reimbursement for Osteopathy with Sam... use the DOMP number for ACMA (Sunlife, Manulife) and the RMO number for CRMO (Greenshield or Empire/Great West Life). Each insurance company decides independently which associations they will cover. Please check with your benefit provider to confirm coverage.
How often do I need to be treated?
The frequency of recommended treatments is based on your assessment. Adequate time between visits is required to allow your body to integrate the changes that occur from one treatment to the next. If you are booking an initial consult, it is always recommended to book 2 or 3 appointments one to two weeks apart so that if follow ups are required, you already have appointments booked that are in a timely manner. You can always cancel them if they are no longer necessary. It is very typical of Osteopathic Practioners to be booking 4 to 6 months in advance, so booking your first series allows for follow ups.
What can Osteopathy help?
-
Acute or chronic pain
-
Neck, shoulder, back and joint pain
-
Headaches or migraines
-
Sleep or energy issues
-
Circulatory issues
-
Digestive dysfunctions
-
Post-surgical reocvery
-
Postural problems
-
Reproductive difficulties
-
Cardiorespiratory concerns
-
Paediatric concerns
-
Sports-related injuries
What is the difference between DOMP practitioners?
As with any program, the calibre of the school can make a huge difference between graduates. All schools in Ontario are private, and there are many different, non-profit associations that graduates belong to. They all work to help graduates maintain a standard and give support to osteopathy. It is important to know that some programs are fairly introductory and some programs are very intensive. Insurance companies are aware that all osteopathy colleges, schools and associations are not equal and recognize them on their own merits individually, or not at all. There are some programs that instruct online, some that let the students choose which courses they want to take and others that require clinic hours and regular testing. Until Osteopathy is federally/provincially regulated there will be no easy way to categorize therapists holding a DOMP designation. However, all our Osteopathic practitioners are recognized as DOMP's by most insurance companies in Ontario.
At OSTEOPATHY KITCHENER all of our practitioners are members of The Ontario Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners. (OAO) or National Canadian Association of Alternative Medicine (ACMA) and the College of Registered Manual Osteopaths (CRMO). These associations are recognized by the larger Ontario Insurance companies and therefore will cover treatments by its members. Smaller companies may or may not recognize these associations. Please check with your benefit provider. We can not direct bill, or deal with the insurance companies on your behalf.