The essence of osteopathy is to reduce people’s pain and improve their function through the skilled application of the osteopath’s hands. Osteopaths are taught how to use their hands to diagnose problems with the human body, and to use various techniques to assist the body back to health. Each person is different, so what is appropriate for one person may not be suitable for another person. To train as an osteopath takes a minimum of 4 years full-time, so you can rest assured that you are in safe hands. Being a safe practitioner is one of the foundations of an osteopath’s training i.e. how to avoid making an injury/condition worse, and knowing when to refer the person to their GP.