Mark and Angie (owners of Fairfield Osteo Clinic) both graduated as Osteopaths over ten years ago.  A lot has happened in manual therapy since then.   It's not about having a short leg anymore, weak abdominal muscles or a twisted pelvis.  We wish sometimes it was just about that fallen arch in your left foot - it would be a whole lot simpler.   There is a truckload of information published about the brain in the last ten years and if you were reading it and letting it inform how you approach the human body, then it changed everything.

On a daily basis, Osteopaths help people who have pain, and of that pain, back pain is top of the pops.  Up to eighty per cent of Australians will experience back pain at some point in their lives and 10% will experience significant disability as a result (1).  They walk into our clinic every day and it's incredibly important what you learn about pain at this point.  

We are manual therapists, which means we use our hands to assess and treat the body.  We are also physical therapists and this means we're qualified to address how you move, give you exercises and advice on what you might need to change to live more comfortably.

We went to University for five years and we have continued to learn, read and question ever since so we are bursting with knowledge about the human body, the brain and influences they have on each other.  We don't plan to overwhelm you but expect to take home some interesting facts and be ready to dispel some myths.

We occasionally see something that surprises us or we might not have an immediate answer for you.  Rest assured we will work with you to find an answer.  We get expert advice from our ever expanding network of colleagues, neurologists, paediatricians, occupational therapists, GPs and maternal and child health nurses.

On a personal note, Mark and I are a bit older, which makes some people more comfortable.  I know what it's like to push a baby out, feel the aches and pains from carrying children around, and the rather distressing fact that I've just crossed onto the the other side of 40 and my body isn't quite performing like it used to.  Mark is carrying around old footy injuries, a history of battling his weight and nagging mid back pain from playing the violin but under duress (read parental expectations) for twelve years.  

(1) Walker BF, Muller R, Grant WD. Low back pain in Australian adults. Prevalence and associated disability. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2004; 27: 238-244. <PubMed>