Tag Archives: osteopathy

Restoration of Bone’s Elastic Response Using Osteopathic Techniques

By Vickie Keam

Prior to attending hands-on clinical training, Diploma in Osteopathic Manual Practice (DOMP) students are supported by LCO faculty in preparing a thesis dissertation based on a case study or literature review. As part of our ongoing effort to disseminate osteopathic research, we are proud to highlight selected student works.

In her dissertation, Restoration of Bone’s Elastic Response Using Osteopathic Techniques”, Vickie Keam examines how osteopathic treatment approach can be directly guided by the anatomical structure and biomechanical properties of bone tissue.

Read the full dissertation here: https://bit.ly/2SluHBP

About Vickie Keam

Vickie Keam is an Animal Therapist located in southern Alberta focused on building knowledge and helping animals and people. Vickie has attended international studies for multiple species and boasts 11 years of continuing education and 18 certifications which include a Diploma in Equine Osteotherapy, Associate Certificate in Osteopathy, Craniosacral therapy Level’s 1&2, and Animal Normalization Technique certificates focusing on fascial work and organ mobility. Vickie has extensive practical experience, beginning her therapy career as an equine therapist for 8 years before moving to small animals and now, furthering her education in humans. Her understanding, dedication, and passion has made a difference for horses, pets, and people. Vickie maintains that furthering her studies is allowing her to bring new ideas to the field. She is currently working on refining her technique in restoring bone’s elastic response. When she isn’t being a therapist, she also enjoys her own horses, travelling, and experiencing Canada’s natural beauty through fly fishing and photography.

Clinicals in Barcelona 2018

From November 3-9, London College of Osteopathy and Health Sciences held its annual Clinical Training in the historic center of Barcelona, Spain.

Dr. Konstantin Firsov led a group of DOMP students through an intensive 7-day program that included HVLA or Thrust technique, Strain-Counterstain, Muscle Energy, Lymphatic drainage, Cranio-Sacral, Balanced Ligamentous Tension, Soft Tissue, and Joint Mobilization.

This year’s students were an international group from Belgium, Australia, Hungary, Germany, and Canada. All participants possessed formidable backgrounds in their professions (i.e. massage therapy, sports medicine, physiotherapy, nutrition, acupuncture, and chiropractic medicine). Under the guidance of Dr. Firsov, students had the chance to practice on real patients ranging in ages and with a wide variety of clinical presentations.

About Dr. Konstantin Firsov

Dr. Firsov (MD, Ph.D., DO) has been practicing osteopathic medicine for over 30 years and is an Honorable Patron of the British Council of Integrated Medicine of the United Kingdom. Trained both in allopathic and traditional medicine, Dr. Firsov has given training workshops in the UK, Canada, India, and Japan. In working with students, he draws from his experience as a teacher of manual osteopathy and a martial art practitioner. He explains the parallels between osteopathy and martial arts by saying, “both are concerned with taking control over another’s body, with the most important being not force, but sensitivity, an absence of unnecessary aggression, and continuous growth whether one is in the role of a therapist or practitione.”

LCO would like to thank all participants and staff who made the training possible. Licensed health professionals interested in adding osteopathy to their current healthcare practice should contact info@lcocanada.com or visit www.lcocanada.com

The Relationship Between Athletics and Osteopathy

Athletes come in all shapes in sizes, but whether they are part of a team sport or not, they can always benefit from manual osteopathic treatment.

It has become the norm in the professional athletics world, to have a manual osteopath as a crucial member of an athletes care team. The relationship between athletes and osteopaths has always been very tight knit, usually injuries are just a part of being an athlete and an osteopath can be the difference between 2 week recovery and a 2 month recovery. But athletics at any level can be extremely demanding on the body, and any restriction of mobility of the joints, muscles, ligaments, and viscera can interfere with wellbeing. This will manifest differently for every athlete, whether muscle spasms to tendinitis, or strains and sprains that directly impact performance. This also applies to young people, as they are in the most active time in their lives.

The following tend to play an active role in injury:

Impact sports;
Fast changes of directions;
Quick take off;
Sports that require endurance, that require athletes to be efficient mechanically and energetically, are also demanding for the body.

Manual osteopathy allows athletes to:

Prevent some injuries providing consistent treatment with an osteopathic manual therapist;
Prepare the body for exercise by increasing muscular power, flexibility, range of joint motion and respiratory capacities;
Correct postural imbalances and regain full movement in limbs
Avoid and aid with lower back pain
Alleviate pain and speed up recovery after fractures, sprains, surgery, or traumas
Many athletes underestimate the importance of a slow and gradual reintroduction back to their activity in order to avoid recurrence of the initial injury, or a new one. After a trauma or fall, the earlier you can see your osteopath, the better. It is essential that the body doesn’t overcompensate in different parts and cause even more problems later on.

Osteopathy can also help young people gain control over both their body and mind. Osteopaths check joints, muscle tension, visceral and cranial tensions. Pursuing treatment prior to the start of the season will help correct any imbalances within in the body, and following an ongoing treatment regime throughout the season can improve performance and prepare the body for competition.It is advisable for young people who pursue regular sporting activities to consider prevention, maintenance and treatment for any injuries that do occur.

Some of the most common questions I receive from my patients after an appointment are….

Should I come right before my competition?

My answer is that ideally, you want to give your body 2-3 days before the competition in order to let your body get accustomed to its new internal balance.

Can I practice my sport right after the appointment?

For the same reason mentioned above, you want to give your body at least that day to get used to its new balance and range of mobility. Doing too much, too soon is a common mistake and can have a negative impact on the work done during the appointment.

How often should I see an osteopath for treatment to remain pain-free?

This is a question I am frequently asked, but unfortunately there is no set answer. The number of times you need to come depend on the length of time you have had your complaint, the severity of your injury, and your overall health. Some conditions respond quickly and others take more time. The good news is one of the strongest skills Osteopaths develop is knowing when to treat and when to let the patient heal.

In which situations is it best to consult an osteopathic manual therapist?

As a preventive measure:

Set up a preliminary assessment before a sporting event.

As a curative measure:

To restore balance, in a very precise way, within the joint axes disturbed by a shock;
To help heal and strengthen after a fracture, sprain or surgery;
To erase traumas, even old ones.

But, also in case of:

Falls without bone trauma or visible lesions on several joint radionuclides;
Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), talalgia (or pain to the plantar fascia), pubalgia (also known as a sports hernia), periarthritis, epicondylitis …;
Shortness of breath with the effort, pain on the side…;
Sciatica, cruralgia (femoral neuropathy) cervicalgia, back pain, lower back pain;
Headache, balance disorder, dizziness;
Bad recovery between sporting events;
Stress, lack of concentration, sleep disorders.

Courses such as Biomechanics, Applied Anatomy & Physiology, Osteopathic Modalities and Treatment among many others can broaden the horizons of fitness and wellness professionals by giving them essential and career defining knowledge in health sciences and manual therapy.

Feel free to use the promo code OSTEOSPRING for 20% off all LCO courses and programs (valid until June.21st)

If you are interested in learning more about LCO’s courses and programs please email info@lcocanada.com

Step Inside Our Clinical Training in Barcelona 2016!

From November 14-21, 2016, LCO held its first Clinical Training in beautiful Barcelona, Spain. Participants came from Europe, North America, and even as far away as the island of Guam to attend the training at an osteopathic clinic, situated inside a 19th century modernist building in the heart of the city. The training was conducted by Jane Dominey, a European-trained osteopath and Canadian, Rita Shpilt (OMT, RMT), who imparted such techniques as muscle energy, balanced ligamentous tension, joint mobilization, facilitated positional release, strain-counterstrain, and cranio-sacral and lymphatic techniques. During a business class, students had an opportunity to explore the latest developments in social media marketing and learn how to apply them to the specifics of their own practices.

Here is what Sigrid Graber, a naturopath from Germany, said about her clinical training experience,

“The material was absolute sufficient not to be overwhelmed. Rita and Jane are both very experienced therapists and passionate and kind teachers. Priority was always that we understand why we do certain things in a certain way. No question remained unanswered. We had real patients with real feedback. Rita and Jane gave us a lot of confidence in preparing all the different steps with us. Beginning with the moment the patient comes in, the questions we have to ask, the assessments that are important for the different conditions and finding the right treatment plan. I even had the possibility to talk to a real Website Pro to improve my homepage and am very thankful for that. We also had a great social time preparing real paella together. I can just say thank you for this unforgettable time.”