Treatment
Osteopathy — how it works
With Philip Waldman D.O. FSCCO, Registered Osteopath at Chelsea SW10 and Brighton & Hove BN3
Philip Waldman D.O. FSCCO is a Registered Osteopath and Cranial Osteopath with over 34 years of clinical experience. He practises at Chelsea Natural Health Clinic, 208 Fulham Road, London SW10 and in Brighton & Hove, BN3. Philip is registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) and is a Fellow of the Sutherland Cranial College (FSCCO).
The osteopathic philosophy
As an osteopath, Philip believes passionately in the body’s ability to heal itself when the conditions are right. His approach is built on four core principles that guide osteopathic practice:
- The rule of the artery is supreme — good blood supply is essential to health in every tissue
- Structure governs function — the shape and alignment of joints and tissues determines how they work
- The body is a unit — no part of the body functions in isolation; everything is connected
- The body contains the mechanisms for self-repair — given the right conditions, the body will heal itself
In practice, this means Philip takes a whole-body approach to every patient. He looks for the areas of restriction, tightness and dysfunction that are overloading the painful or symptomatic region — and treats those, not just the symptoms themselves.
What osteopathic training involves
Osteopathic training in the UK is a four- or five-year undergraduate degree covering anatomy, physiology, pathology, clinical diagnosis and thousands of hours of practical training in osteopathic technique. The training includes x-ray and MRI interpretation, orthopaedics, pharmacology, and a broad range of clinical osteopathic methods. The profession has been statutorily regulated since 1993 — the first complementary health profession in the UK to achieve this status — and all practising osteopaths must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council.
Techniques Philip uses
Philip uses a broad range of techniques, selecting the most appropriate combination for each individual patient and presentation. These include:
- Soft tissue massage and myofascial release
- Joint mobilisation and articulation
- High-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA) manipulation where appropriate
- Muscle energy techniques
- Cranial osteopathy — used for patients of all ages, including babies
- Dry needling acupuncture — as an adjunct to manual treatment
- Exercise prescription and postural rehabilitation
- Lifestyle and ergonomic advice
Conditions osteopathy can help
The following conditions are treated by Philip Waldman D.O. FSCCO at his Chelsea and Brighton & Hove clinics. This list is not exhaustive — if you are unsure whether osteopathy is appropriate for your condition, please contact Philip to discuss.
- Back pain and neck pain
- Migraines
- Headaches (cervicogenic)
- Sciatica
- Frozen shoulder
- Neuralgia
- Slipped disc
- Whiplash
- Flat head syndrome
- Arthritic and rheumatic pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Sports injuries
- Tennis elbow
- Postural problems
- Pregnancy-related back and pelvic pain
- Digestive problems
- Muscle spasm and tension
- Growing pains in children and teenagers
Frequently asked questions