Here's why I refuse to be just an Osteopath

In my role as marketing director for our wellness centre I have recently taken my first tentative steps into the world of business networking. One of the first questions I get asked by people is what do you do. My answer in the past would of course be "I'm an osteopath". I would never really be comfortable with answer because although I have a degree in Osteopathic Medicine my scope of practice when I see clients goes way outside of that.

A very basic description of what a typical osteopath does is a mixture between chiropractic and massage therapy. When I left osteopathic college my main treatment methods were a combination of adjustments and massage. When treating people this approach would be very effective for treating acute physical conditions but less for long standing problems. While my chronic clients would feel somewhat better after treatments they would regularly need follow up treatments to keep their symptoms at a manageable level. This, of course, is good for business but it was not enough as I wanted to find a longer term solution.

To help me with my networking endeavours I recently attended a free seminar at Invest Ottawa called Networking for people who hate networking by Majeed Mogharreban. One of the key things I picked up from the talk was when answering the question about what do you do say what you do not what you are? The was an interesting new concept for me and made total sense for many people especially in Ottawa know little about osteopaths. Using language that people could relate to we had to describe what I did.

Here is what I came up with:

"Do you know when you take you car to the mechanic and they plug it into a computer and it tells you what's wrong with it. Well, I'm a bit like that computer. Through what you tell me and through my testing I can hopefully get to the root of the symptoms you want me to help you with. While some times I can find a temporary solution to your symptoms through physical therapy more often than not that problem is going to re occur at some point in the future."

Sometimes going to an Osteopath or any other physical therapist is a bit like taking your dirty car to the carwash. You leave all shiny clean but at some point you'll get dirty again. Most of the time you have to look under hood and see how well you have looked after your body.

I just cannot resist looking underneath that hood and so that's why I refuse to be just an Osteopath.

How much does an osteopathic treatment cost in Ottawa?

One of the first questions a person looking for an osteopath asks themselves is: How much will it cost? Unfortunately, many people run into a roadblock when they research online as very few practitioners publish their prices online and where prices are shown the costs and length of treatment can be a little confusing.

If you have never been to an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner before then all will need you to come for an initial consultation. The cost of an initial varies between $100 to $150 and varies between 45 minutes and 1 hour in length.

There are a couple of Osteopathic Practitioners in Ottawa who offer a free consultation and only charge for treatment. For the others the consultation will not include treatment or it will dependent on the time needed the time left in the appointment. You will normally be given the option to have treatment after the consult, dependent on time available.

Follow up appointments are a little more confusing as different practitioners offer different appointment lengths. These can range between 15 minutes and 1 hour and of course cost can vary accordingly. The reason for the differing appointment lengths is mostly dependent on what diagnostic and treatment approach the practitioner normally uses. For example, a more traditional Osteopathic practitioner such as Robert Black, will usually have a follow up of 60 minutes costing $120 while myself I normally have a 30 minute follow up costing $80.

So, I hope that helps, in some part, to answer your question regarding the cost of osteopathic treatment in Ottawa. If you have any questions or comments please leave them below, and I will get back to you asap.

Dominick Hussey
Osteopathic Manual Practitioner
Ottawa Holistic Wellness

Who are the best Osteopaths in Ottawa? (Reviews/Ratings)

Over the past 6 years of working as an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner in Ottawa I have consulted 100's of people living in Ottawa regarding their various health issues. And because so many of you know my thoughts and feelings (from this blog) on all things "osteopathic", you often ask me who are some of the other osteopaths and we have in the area.

Before I first came to Ottawa, I did a lot of research on which Osteopaths were already working in the Ottawa area. During my six years here our numbers have steadily grown and I have made a conscious effort to learn about the new practitioners and their practices. Here's my honest assessment of those practitioners who I know to have a solid osteopathic history:

1. Richard Gregory: Practising as an osteopathic manual practitioner since 2004, Richard owns and runs one of the well known Osteopathic Clinics in Ottawa. Richard uses a holistic treatment approach combining the specific knowledge of muscle testing and exercise prescription from athletic therapy with the manual therapy skills of osteopathy.

2. Maria McCloskey: Although Maria, only graduated in 2012, having personally worked closely alongside her during my time at the Integral Health Clinic, I was more than impressed with her osteopathic diagnosis and treatment skills. Maria has a particular expertise and passion in Cranial and Visceral Osteopathy.

3. Frank Parent: Having initially starting off as an Registered Massage Therapist Frank eventually discovered a passion for the Osteopathic approach to treating. Frank specialises in cranial osteopathy.

4. Christian Lepage: Like Frank, Christian also began his career as a RMT before studying Osteopathy to both graduate and post-graduate levels. He is passionate about his work and focuses on delivering a comprehensive health care approach to each patients individual needs.

5: Robert Black: Robert has been working in the field of hands-on therapy, posture and movement for over 20 years. Robert has worked in a variety of clinical settings as well as in his own practice and has built up a repertoire of skills and experience that he brings to his work.

So there are the 5 choices I would consider if you are looking for an Osteopath working in Ottawa. Which Osteopath to choose is a tricky question as each will have their own unique approach especially the more experienced practitioners. All will be more be more than capable of helping you so in the end it will be down to which practitioner you feel most comfortable.

Dominick Hussey

Osteopathic Manual Practitioner

Coffee tastes good but what does your body think

A chiropractor friend of mine referred me a client who she had been treating for chronic long term neck pain. Her symptoms had improved considerably since her initial visit over a year ago however she required regular maintenance treatments every 2 weeks to keep her symptoms at a manageable level.

Where new clients have been receiving physical treatment already I am more inclined to look for other underlying reasons for clients pain issues. Chiropractic care is very effective but once you stop having regular adjustments the problem soon re-emerges.

One of the standard assessments I do with any new client is to test their individual muscles. I can then see which ones are not working as well as they should be. This does not mean they are weak and you need to get the client to work on those muscles. These muscles lack stamina or they give way quickly when tested. As an Applied Kinesiologist, I am able to isolate individual muscles to test their function.

 In Applied Kinesiology, each muscle is associated with different organs, nutrition, meridians and spinal levels. They are are also prone to effects of different food intolerances. Clients with neck pain often have weak Sternocleidomastoid muscles (found in the front of your neck). These muscles, in my experience, are particularly prone to the effects of caffeine in coffee by reducing it's function or stamina. When this occurs other muscles in the neck have to compensate and eventually they become tired themselves and go into spasm.

During her initial consultation, the client mentioned that she regularly drank 4 cups of coffee per day,

which immediately caught my attention. During her examination, I tested to see if her body's muscle's reacted to coffee by getting her to hold a vial containing caffeine and seeing if one of her shoulder muscles (which was strong on initial testing) weakened to testing. It did, and so this was a good indication to myself and the client that caffeine may be playing a role in her neck issues.

At the end of the consultation I advised the client that to get lasting resolution of her neck pain she needed to cut out coffee. This is no easy ask for most clients but this lady was keen to find a solution to he longstanding and somewhat debilitating neck pain. She totally cut out all coffee and promptly suffered with a headache over the next four days. This was a normal withdrawal symptom of caffeine. The headache disappeared and by the time she came for her follow up treatment the following week her neck pain was 90% better. Within 3 weeks, the pain had disappeared. As well as suffering from neck pain she had also mentioned she was often constipated, her energy was low, she was sleeping better, and her lower back and knees were no longer sore.

Muscle pain - An early sign of Autoimmune Disease?

Do you have constant or intermittent episodes of chronic pain?

Do you need regular visits to your local osteopath, chiropractor, physio or massage therapist to help keep these pains at a manageable level?

If the answer is yes, then you could possibly have the early signs of autoimmune disease.

An autoimmune disease occurs when your body's immune system has destroyed part of itself. A familiar autoimmune disease is  Rheumatoid Arthritis, where where your immune system destroys the lining of your joints. Another example is Hashimoto's Disease where your thyroid gland is destroyed.

I recently wrote a blog titled "Shoulder pain, your thyroid and soya". After reading this article, a friend of mine in the UK commented to me on Facebook that he had been diagnosed with Hashimoto's and was now on medication. Previous to the diagnosis he had suffered from a recurrent shoulder problem for many years which since he has been treated for his thyroid has disappeared.

There are three main factors that lead to the development of an autoimmune disease:

1. Genetic predisposition - whether your family suffered from an autoimmune disease.
2. Triggers - food sensitivities, heavy metals, chemical toxins.
3. Intestinal Permeability - "A leaky gut".

One of the main food sensitivity triggers for autoimmune disease is wheat gluten or gliadin. The second most common autoimmune disease triggered by gluten is Hashimotos disease.

The concept of helping peoples chronic pain issues by taking them off gluten or gluten cross reactive foods, such as soya, is not unfamiliar to me. I have helped hundreds of people this way but have not really understood the true mechanism.

As a guide in my diagnosis of clients I use Applied Kinesiology or muscle function testing. With AK I can detect weaknesses in individual muscle groups. I also use it to test for food sensitivities. In AK each muscle in the body is linked to a specific gland or organ. I can therefore test how the muscle for the thyroid which is the Teres Minor and see if it weakens when the person is in contact with a particular food or any other trigger such as gluten. This is just a guide for me that this person needs further lab investigations for the foods I find that weaken that muscle.

Studies have shown that antibodies for autoimmune diseases can be found in the blood 9 years before the person starts exhibits signs and symptoms of the disease. Up until that point it can the person could be happily unaware that anything was happening in their body that was sinister. Chronic persistent muscle problems could be your bodies early warning system like the red light on your dashboard.

There are tests available through Cyrex Labs which can tell you whether you have these autoimmune antibodies in your system.

There are of course many many other mechanisms that could be causing muscle pain but this makes sense to me. I welcome any questions or comments.

Be brutally honest about your health!

As an Osteopath working in Ottawa I tend to be at the end of the queque when it comes to who the general public come and see for their health care. 

Ottawa is a very conservative city health care wise in that most people are used to a very orthodox model to health which includes doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors and massage therapists. Osteopaths are a rare breed in Ottawa, in fact there are only about 10 of us.

If you don't know what an osteopath is, it's a bit like a combination between a gentle chiropractor and massage therapist. Like those other professions we are taught how to manually realign peoples spine, joints and muscles in the hope that will bring them back to health.

Treating people physically is an important part of resolving peoples aches and pains but far from the whole story. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article people who seek my advice have often tried all the different types of physical therapies in an effort to resolve their health issues. When this is the case I am brutally honest with people in that me treating them physically is no different or better than the treatment they would have received from those other practitioners.

So what is the answer?

Imagine your body is a car and your bad back is a tyre that keeps wearing down on one side. What's the solution?

You change the worn tyre with a new one. Good as new!

Months later you look down at the tyre again and frustratingly it's worn again! This process like many peoples health issues can go on for years.

When looking at this problem a good mechanic who is worth their salt should be checking to see whether your tracking is aligned.

Let's assume you have a smart mechanic he is done that but still you appear at his door every 5-6 months with the same worn tyre. Your cars tracking as you would probably realise keeps your wheels in line. It is however a somewhat sensitive set up and can be fairly easily disturbed. Normal safe driving is fine for it but once you start to be thoughtless about where you drive your car then things can get misaligned. Driving over pot holes, hitting the curb or driving too fast over speed bumps are all good examples.

At this point the mechanic can now see the source of the problem  - THE DRIVER!

Like with most problems that occur with cars the health issues that occur with our bodies the source of the problem is the owner. We have just not looked after ourselves properly enough.

Like we drive through pot holes in road we might stay up too late. Like we skip that oil change we skip breakfast.

This is ok occasionally but on a regular basis you'll make your mechanic a rich man and your life an eventual misery. Like smart mechanics Osteopaths are taught to recognize how these are factors can effect your health  and they are going to tell you that in a nicely honest brutal way.

For some even nicely honest can be painful but if they want to change their health they have to be brutally honest with themselves!

What do osteopaths treat?

Osteopaths are generally known to treat musculoskeletal pain conditions such as:

• headaches
• neck pain
• back pain
• hip pain
• knee pain
• ankle and foot pain
• General muscle pain such as Fibromyalgia
• Joint problems caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

As well as musculoskeltal pain osteopaths also can help with physiological conditions such as:

• Digestive issues such as Coeliac Disease, Crohns, heartburn, indigestion, IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome), Ulcerative colitis.
• Menstruation and menopausal symptoms.
• Respiratory conditions such as asthma, recurrent sinus and throat infections.
• Skin conditions such as dermatitis and eczema.

Osteopaths also use a technique called Cranial Osteopathy, which is similar to craniosacral therapy, that is excellent for babies and children. Conditions that can be helped include:

• Croup
• Digestive issues
• Feeding problems
• Hyperactivity
• Trauma from long birth/labour

These are just a few of the many conditions osteopaths treat. 

What is Osteopathy?

What is Osteopathy?

Osteopathy is a 100 year old healing system which was developed by Andrew Still in the USA in the early 20th century. Students of Andrew Still took Osteopathy to the United Kingdom where it grew slowly in popularity and developed a small but loyal following. It was only towards the end of the 20th Century that Osteopathy was formally recognized in both the USA and the UK. In both countries the term osteopath is a protected title under law. Osteopathy in Canada is a growing profession but still not widely known by the population. There are only 800 osteopathically trained practitioners working in Canada, the majority of those in Ontario and Quebec.

Osteopathy is a whole body approach to diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal pain conditions. Osteopathic manual practitioners as the majority of osteopaths are known in Canada diagnose and treat using their hands. Using a highly developed sense of palpation they are able to feel areas of dysfunction in the body's muscles and joints. These areas are seen as blockages to your body's innate ability to heal itself (your immune system). Osteopathic manual practitioners are taught to gentle remove these blockages by manipulation of the fascia, muscles joints and spine. It is important to note that the whole philosophy of Osteopathy is to help the body help itself. This means you get a much deeper and longer lasting healing to the body.

To find out more about Osteopathy in Ontario you can go to the Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners of Ontario website. If you have any queries or questions regarding this article please leave it in the comments below.

What is an Osteopath?

What is an Osteopath?

In Ontario, where I practice, the only people who are legally allowed to call themselves an "Osteopath" are members of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario as per the Medicine Act of 1991. To become a member of the College you must have completed a Doctor of Osteopathy or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. At present this degree is only available in USA and not Canada. Hence, only a handful of US educated practitioners who are members of the CPSO can legally call themselves an Osteopath or Osteopathic Physician.

The majority of practitioners practicing Osteopathy in Ontario are called Osteopathic Manual Practitioners and are members of the Ontario Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners (OAO). The membership of the OAO is made up of Canadian and Foreign trained in Osteopathy. I am a United Kingdom trained and have a Degree in Osteopathic Medicine. Osteopathic Manual Practitioners that are trained in Ontario will have the designation DOMP or DOMTP after their name, which signifies that they have a Diploma of Osteopathy. In the UK, as in Ontario, the title Osteopath is a protected in law by the 1991 Osteopaths Act. The regulating body for Osteopaths in the UK is the General Osteopathic Council (GOC). Only registered members, of which I am, can use the title, Osteopath in the UK. As a member of both the OAO and GOC, it is mandatory that you complete a minimum amount of continuing education to maintain a strict code of practice. The OAO, unlike the GOC, is not a regulatory body but it's  membership are working towards this goal with the Government of Ontario and Canada.

When looking for a therapist practicing Osteopathy in Ontario it is important to check their qualifications and to what professional associations they belong.

If you have any questions regarding the above blog or general queries about osteopathy please leave them in the comments below.

What do Osteopaths do?

"What do Osteopaths do?"

As an Ottawa Osteopathic Manual Practitioner, this is a frequent question for me. Here are a few facts that might help answer that question:

Osteopaths are trained to diagnose and treat pain originating from your musculoskeletal system. They treat primarily with their hands using gentle manipulations, mobilisations of your joints, muscles and spine. One of the main principles taught osteopaths is that the body has an innate ability to heal itself. So when an osteopath is treating you they are helping your body to help itself. They are expert at identifying physical causes of pain including muscle strains, ligament sprains, joint issues and spinal misalignments.


When assessing your pain issues your osteopath will take into account not only where the pain is located but also your overall health and how that is interacting with your presenting problem. Osteopaths are often trained in diet and nutrition and understand the close link between the health of your musculoskeletal system and the food you eat. They have a truly holistic approach to health.

All Osteopaths are trained in pathology which is the study of disease. They learn this because sometimes physical pain can originate from a disease process which is happening in the body. This knowledge means that they can identify conditions that are not appropriate for osteopathic treatment and in such a case they will refer you to your physician.

Osteopaths also trained to identify and treat non-disease physiological problems which have  a structural origin. For example, stomach or tummy problems can often be caused by restrictions in the spine that can be easily resolved by osteopathic treatment.

Osteopaths are trained in pharmacology, which is the science medication, they have a good understanding of the effects and side effects of drugs this is extremely important as if clients are taking certain medication this can contraindicate them from particular types of osteopathic treatment.

These are just a few of the things what do osteopaths do?

Whats the difference between an Osteopath and a Chiropractor?

This is probably the commonest question I have to answer when ever I mention that my job is an osteopath. It's a tricky question to answer since I have never been to see a chiropractor either personally or professionally. The knowledge I have gathered about the subject is through some reading but mostly from many of my clients who have received chiropractic care.  Despite this I shall put some of my own light on the matter.

When I left osteopathic college back in 1997 I had been taught how to diagnose musculoskelatal pain and how to differentiate that from other conditions that mimic the same symptoms. Chiropractors essentially learn this as well.

When you first visit either a chiropractor or osteopath both will sit down with you and ask you questions about the problem you need help with, your past medical history, your family's medical history, medications you might take and so on. This is called a case history. These questions help us determine whether this is a musculoskeletal problem or if there is any underlying disease or pathology causing your symptoms.

At this point, both chiropractors and osteopaths carry out a physical examination. This is used to help further define the nature of the musculoskeletal cause of your problem or the underlying pathology. Many chiropractors at this point have the tendancy to take xrays of the effected area. This is prudent if you suspect some disease of the joints or bones but many chiropractors use it to determine misalignment  of the spine. Xrays are a necessary evil if you suspect pathology but the dangerous effects of xrays is well documented.

Once the examination is complete both chiropractors and osteopaths will give you a summary of their findings, what diagnosis they have come to, whether they think the treatment they offer will help and a treatment plan. With treatment plans there seems to be a difference in policy between chiropractors and osteopaths. Chiropractors appear to be much more rigid in their treatment plans which seem to be dense and long. For example, a recent client said she had been seeing a chiropractor, 3 times a week for the 1 year and then 2 times a week for the second. Osteopaths, in my experience, will often suggest a couple of treatments per week for the first 2 may be 3 week and then treatments are progressively spread out.

Both chiropractors and osteopaths are taught how to manually manipulate the spine and other joints in the body. Both do this with the aim of increasing the range of motion in restricted joints. From my clients experiences adjustments by chiropractors seem to be more aggressive in nature and some have expressed apprehension when talking about the subject. There also seems to be a tendency chiropractors use adjustment as their exclusive method of treatment. Osteopaths in general are taught a number of different physical treatment approaches including massage, stretching and exercise therapy.

Chiropractors place a strong emphasis on the health of the spine and it's effects on the muscles and the rest of the body.  Osteopaths have a different slant on how they view health in that they believe in the body's innate ability to cure itself. The health of the spine is an important part of that but is only one part of the body. Osteopaths look at the health of the whole body and specifically what is stopping the your body's immune system from helping it self. Osteopaths appear to have a much more holistic approach. They tend to look beyond the spine and look at underlying factors that may be contributing to your body's imbalance. One common factor is what you put in your mouth. This, enviromental factors, lifestyle and stress have a huge effect on the body's ability to fix itself.

So that is some of my light on the difference between chiropractors and osteopaths. I'm sure many will have opinions and my discussion is far from exhaustive but comments will be eagerly accepted.

Osteopathy and Tennis elbow.

Tennis elbow is inflammation of your forearm muscle tendons or tendinitis. Tendons usually become inflamed when the muscles they attach to become tired because over overworking. Muscles overwork usually because they are compensating for muscle weaknesses elsewhere. In my experience this muscle weakness can usually be found in the shoulder and is usually either the corocobracialis, subscapularis or teres minor muscles.

In Osteopathy, muscles are linked to particular nutrients and as such weakness can indicate deficiencies in those. For example, Corocobracialis is related to vitamin C, the Subscapularis is linked to B vitamins, and the Teres minor is linked to iron. By identifying which muscle is weak so the weakness can be resolved using a simple change in nutrition and as a consequence the forearm muscles will no longer have to overwork.

Dominick Hussey

Osteopath and Functional Medicine Practitioner

Osteopathy and Functional Medicine

Ottawa Health Wellness Centre

Welcome to my Capital Osteopathy Ottawa blog

The purpose of this blog is to highlight some important health issues that I encounter in my Osteopathic practice.....feel free to make your comments...kind regards Dominick.