Osteopathy, is a physical therapy which is performed on an individual to help diagnose, treat and prevent a variety of health problems. There is a specific focus on the joints, muscles and spine. Osteopathy is also known as manual treatment, as it’s carried out with the hands and uses a variety of techniques to alleviate pain, prevent injury and reduce discomfort from chronic illness. It is similar but different from physiotherapy in that an osteopath works from the perspective that the body is a whole, all the body’s systems are interconnected and it has a self-healing mechanism. Physiotherapists tend to focus on the problem area and administer treatment to that specific area. Physiotherapy is more aligned with traditional Western medicine. Osteopathy has many benefits including but not limited to eliminating the underlying cause of pain, reducing pain and stiffness in muscles and joints, increasing range of motion in the joints, treating spinal problems, relieving tension in the body and migraine headaches, helping the body adapt to hormonal changes in pregnancy, increasing circulation, reducing blood pressure and helping the body heal itself.