Osteopathy Awareness Week 
April 30–6 May, 2012

The Australian Osteopathic Association (AOA) will hold its annual Osteopathy Awareness Week during 30 April to 6 May, 2012. Osteopaths collectively treat over 50 000 people a week, generate over $250 million in the economy, plus osteopathy has been practiced for over 100 years in Australia.  

Osteopathy is not an alternative health option – osteopaths are university trained, government registered, allied health professionals. Currently an osteopath undertakes a 5-year, University Masters degree to achieve registration in Australia.

Most people, regardless of age or gender, will suffer from back or neck pain, headaches, sport injuries, stiffness or pain at some time. Osteopaths can help to identify the cause of the pain or injury and develop a safe and effective course of action to manage pain – so people can make the most of their active lives.

But osteopaths treat more than you think:
Head ache – the most common type of headaches originate from muscle stiffness or joint strain in the neck and/or upper thoracic region      
Whip Lash – muscle damage and injuries from whiplash can contribute to long term pain if unaddressed   
Shoulder Problems –  sitting in front of computers and sedentary occupations can contribute to complex shoulder problems    
Tennis Elbow – did you know this is frequently caused by repetitive use of a computer keyboard and mouse  
Asthma – osteopaths don’t treat asthma; however, sufferers can benefit from osteopathic treatment to relieve musculoskeletal related symptoms, such pain and muscle tightness that may assist with easier breathing and movement
RSI – repetitive strain injuries may be prevented or helped with regular osteopathic treatment and advice    
Posture problems – can lead to other common conditions such as sciatica, upper back pain and headaches     
Back pain – up to 80% of Australians suffer back pain at some point in their life. Osteopaths, as holistic practitioners, consider the many factors that can contribute to your back pain;    
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – surgery may not be your only option, consider manual therapy in the management of this condition,      
Digestive Problems – adults are not the only people who suffer digestive problems, babies and children can also respond well to osteopathic care for these conditions      
Sciatica – can be caused by a range of different problems. Your osteopath can assist in identifying the underling cause.
Knee Pain – with the right treatment and advice knee pain can be effectively managed;      
Shin Splints – poor footwear, including thongs, can lead to shin splints. Osteopaths treat the soft tissues as well as the joints to help with this condition.      
Heel or foot pain –Osteopaths can help with pain from conditions such as plantar fasciitis, ankle sprain or heal spurs. 
Pregnancy and Post Natal Care – your osteopath can help prevent or manage a wide range of pre and post-natal conditions, either solely or in conjunction with other health care practitioners.

The AOA promotes Osteopathy on a daily basis via:
Bureaucrats and governments through attending consultations; writing submissions and attending meetings;
Politicians when lobbying for your rights or arguing for changes;
Health funds when we ask why your rebates may not have changed or some funds don’t cover osteopathy;
Other professional bodies and health practitioners when we explain why an osteopath should be part of team care or working in public health; and,
Consumers - most importantly we do it with the hundreds of people (every week) – your potential customers who call our office or look at the website to find out what osteopathy is or where they can find an osteopath in their local area. Just last week more than 2000 people looked at the AOA website public pages.

TELEVISION AD AND YOU TUBE:
During Osteopathy Awareness Week 2006 - 2008 the AOA placed an advertising campaign on free to air TV and Foxtel. The advert can be emailed around via a link to the AOA website or via U-Tube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1vYxUCQ4xk

Download the AOA's recent Television Commercial (wmv 1.6mb)