M. Ost Year 1 & 2 by Student 21702646

Osteopathic Practice Standards

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-05 14:07:36 UTC

As I'm working on my reflective essay, I think that going thoroughly through this document is very important as an osteopathic treatment is about two people; the patient and the practitioner. Both have to follow certain 'rules' and behaviors in order for a healthy and respectful treatment. I have only been an observer so far but I real realize the complexity and importance that there is in the patient-practioner relationship.

Patients' expectations - Research Report

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-05 14:12:42 UTC

What to expect when going to an osteopathic treatment

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-05 14:23:57 UTC

I guess I would always advise someone who had never received any osteopathic treatment, to look at this type of informative video or simply to do some research about osteopathy and how a treatment typically goes. This way, the future patient can fully be prepared for things such as getting undressed, or talking about their past medical history and so on.

Osteopathy - What is it ?

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-05 14:30:33 UTC

The Importance of Touch

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-05 14:43:16 UTC

The Importance of the Psoas Muscle

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-05 14:46:00 UTC

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-05 14:48:56 UTC

Too many people have asked me the difference between osteopathy and other alternative medicines such as physiotherapy and chiropractic practitioners. This article is a pretty good way to understand their differences.

Safety

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-09 10:07:51 UTC

Osteopathy is generally regarded as a safe treatment, although you may experience minor side effects, such as:

mild to moderate soreness or pain in the treatment area
headache
fatigue

These effects usually develop within a few hours of a session and typically get better on their own within a day or two.

In rare cases, serious complications have been linked to therapies involving spinal manipulation, including osteopathy. These include the tearing of an artery wall leading to a stroke, which can result in permanent disability or even death. These events usually occurred after spinal manipulation involving the neck.

These more serious complications of spinal manipulation are rare. Estimates of the rates of serious complications range widely, from one in several thousand to one in several million.

Your osteopath should explain the benefits and any potential risks associated with having treatment.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteopathy/safety/

When it shouldn't be used

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-09 10:08:26 UTC

Osteopathy isn't recommended where there's an increased risk of damage to the spine or other bones, ligaments, joints or nerves.

Therefore, people with certain health conditions may not be able to have osteopathy. These conditions include:

osteoporosis
fractures
acute inflammatory conditions, such as some types of arthritis
infections
blood clotting disorders, such as haemophilia
cancer
multiple sclerosis (MS)

Osteopathy is also not recommended if you're taking blood-thinning medicines, such as warfarin, having a course of radiotherapy or during pregnancy.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteopathy/safety/

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-09 10:16:59 UTC

I believe that this safety and quality in practice document is very important for me to read once in a while in order to keep in mind the regulations that each osteopath need to always apply during treatments with any patient.

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-09 10:31:11 UTC

I can unfortunately not get the full version of the article as you have to pay for it but the abstract explains that they researched the effects of osteopathy on people with chronic depression, anxiety and other mental disorders.

ABSTRACT
Persistent pain is considered a complex biopsychosocial phenomenon whose understanding and management is yet to be improved. More research is needed to determine the common paths that lead to developing persistent pain, to identify the populations most at risk and to develop and evaluate interventions. The last decades have seen a shift in pain management, from the biomedical model to a biopsychosocial model. There is also a significant body of evidence emphasizing the effects of osteopathy in persistent pain management. Given the relevance of psychosocial factors in aetiology and maintenance of pain, it is essential to investigate whether osteopathy has an influence on depression, anxiety, fear avoidance or pain catastrophyzing. This review will identify and synthesize relevant primary research focused on the effects of osteopathic interventions on psychosocial factors in patients living with different pain conditions. Studies were identified by searching seven databases (Medline complete, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Psychinfo, Psycharticles, Web of Science and Scopus) between 1980 and 2017. Peer reviewed articles reporting effects of: Osteopathic manual therapy, Osteopathic Manipulation, Mobilization, Spinal manipulation, high velocity and low amplitude manipulation, massage and soft tissue treatment were extracted. A total of 16 RCTs were selected. Two out of five reported significant differences in depression; in regards to anxiety, all the four trials found significant effects; two out of three trials reported a significant reduction in fear avoidance while six out of seven trials found a significant enhancement of health status and three out of four found an increase in quality of life. The findings of this review are encouraging; suggesting that osteopathic treatment may have some effects on anxiety, fear avoidance, quality of life and general health status in populations living with persistent pain.

https://www.journalofosteopathicmedicine.com/article/S1746-0689(16)30116-X/fulltext

Student guidance

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-09 10:46:00 UTC

Earlier on I was talking with my peers about professionalism and what they would do if they were in a tricky situation in their own personal life. One way or another some events in your life can dramatically impact your treatments and communication with your patients. It is easy to say but I believe that a practitioner needs to always have a healthy mindset and lifestyle in order to offer the best treatment and care to a patient. I personally believe that everyone should exercise often, have a certain lifestyle regarding food and alimentation in general, avoid smoking tobacco and ban the daily drinking. Obviously I could not impose this kind of believes on any of my future patient but I believe that it will positively impact the treatments that I will be giving in the future as my positive and healthy mindset will reflect in my treatments.

Professional Behaviors

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-09 10:54:55 UTC

Professionalism within the osteopathic profession - my experience

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-11 14:45:14 UTC

I have to admit it, before arriving to the ESO, I had never gone to any osteopathic treatment. I had also never been to any chiropractor or physiotherapist. I didn't need to in order to know that osteopathy was my dream, a vocation, something I was passionate about and what I wanted to be in the future.

Thus I had no clue what a treatment consisted of until I actually got one. This picture of what a treatment was like was later completed by many hours of observation of other treatments.
I have to say that I was amazed by the student's professionalism. They were kind, polite, respectful, considerate and treated the patient or myself (in the case of the treatments I received) with great care.

I often heard from my friends or acquaintances, before coming to Maidstone and the ESO, that the treatments they received from their osteopath was good and that they liked the communication between their practitioner and themselves. But I guess, because of my past experiences with doctors and hospitals, I was curious to discover this world as I had higher expectations than what I already experienced with my past treatments.

I have to say that I always hated going to the doctor. I believe that I wasn't treated well and I always thought that the communication was terrible. Fear, discomfort, pain and other feelings were what I felt during my time at my doctor's.

The time I had observing at the clinic reassured me on the type of people that I was going to work with in the future. I believe that the osteopathic approach is not only positive for the patient's physical health but for the mental health as well!

However, even if the observations I accomplished at the clinic of the ESO were often very interesting, I have been paying attention to how third or fourth years give their treatments and the possible mistakes that they would do or some types of behaviors that they could improve. Obviously, I have no experience in comparison with them but I truly consider that every perspective is important in order to improve the quality of someone's work.

I believe that our class "clinical integration" is helping us understand and work on the behavior that as future practitioners we need to adapt and conform to. It has also made me more critical once I found myself in a treatment observing as I am preparing to be in that practitioner's shoes in the next year.

I have often observed the patient's comportment very carefully. There were cases where the patient showed great discomfort and anxiety. It is hard to tell if this was caused by the presence of the observers or by the fear of the unknown caused by this osteopathic treatment that they are receiving for the first time. When I observed that, I would have hoped for the student practitioner to notice and make sure that the patient would be more comfortable and maybe reassured.

It seemed that often they were scared about the clicking and the pain that it could possibly cause or simply that showing their body to one or multiple strangers was putting them in the most discomfortable place....

I realize that facing a new practitioner and unveiling ourselves whether it is personally (with our case history) or physically (in our underwear) is tricky and can be uncomfortable. But this is why the osteopath's behavior and communication is so relevant and significant. The OPS serve as a base, a first layer in every osteopath's mindset and behavior. I believe that it should create a common behavior in every practitioner in order to comply to the patient's benefits. The patient should feel safe, respected and treated as a unique individual with great quality.

I am not saying that I didn't see that during my observations. However I believe that if the student was to be observing the treatment he gave to his patient, he would realize the missing parts and details in the given treatment.

Patient's beliefs

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-22 12:57:49 UTC

I strongly think that people's mindset, values and beliefs will have a certain effect on the beginning of the treatment and even the rest of it if the practitioner is not able to address certain things in order to change or rather adapt to the patient's beliefs.

For instance, during one of my previous observation in clinic, an Indian male patient came in with simple knee pain. The onset was a fall and his desired outcome from the session was to get rid of the pain. However he was not from Maidstone and it was his daughter who advised him to take an appointment at the ESO student clinic. He believed that he only needed to meet once with an osteopath to be back to his usual lifestyle. This belief seemed to be the first one that disappointed him since he wasn't going to get his desired outcome out of his first session. A complementary factor that affected his treatment was the fact that he had little knowledge about osteopathy. I believe that this lack of knowledge about any treatment can lead to misbeliefs. The patient can start creating his own idea of the future treatment and this leaves place for the creativity and ideas of the patient to create their perception of what a future event should be like.

Because this patient was a 'new patient', his case history was the main focus during the treatment. The practitioner didn't end up having enough time to do a full treatment and had to agree in booking a second appointment.
He wasn't mad at the practitioner, to the contrary he thought that he was doing a good job. However, the patient's beliefs had a true impact in his treatment.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to observe this patient's second treatment and hopefully he got better and got to keep going with his daily activities.

This observation wasn't bad, and as simple as the example is, I managed to observe how the personal life of the patient, his lifestyle, his beliefs and maybe even his values had a major place in the treatment. I could describe it as an elephant in the room that almost no one seem to perceive. I believe that it is the practitioner's decision but also job to take those in consideration. It shouldn't be obvious but through communication, care and aiming to fulfill the patient's needs, it could solve anything, wether those things are issues, misunderstandings, confusions, doubts or fears.

Knowledge and beliefs

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-25 19:46:29 UTC

Another time in clinic observation, we came across a middle age man who works in a prison and who constantly got clicked by one of his mate. Apparently his friend knew how to easily click someone's back thinking that would help the person feel better from their back pain. This friend had no specific knowledge of the human body like a doctor or an osteopath does. The patient believed that by being clicked it would help him feel better from the pain he felt in his back. He believed that because osteopath click their patients and that being clicked by someone else would do the trick. However it seemed that his back had a lot of issues and was very restricted in its ROM (Range of Motion). The student practitioner and the tutor concluded that the constant clicking done outside of the clinic had over articulated the patient's back had the exact same spot ( it was in the middle thoracic spine) and that the patient needed more than one treatment in order to bring the spine in its normal neutral state again.
It seemed that the knowledge and beliefs of the patient were misguided by the lack of information. But also influenced by the advice and narrative of his friend. The patient was gently told to avoid being clicked as it would worsen his back condition. I think that even if the practitioner was not directly saying things, the patient smoothly understood and changed his beliefs as he got more knowledge over his body and health situation from the practitioner.

I liked how practitioner are smooth about the things they want to transmit to their patients. They don't impose anything, they don't force the patient to follow any of their advice. In the contrary, they manage through their ongoing communication throughout the treatment, to make the patient understand what is best for them. It seems that this indirect way of telling them things is more effective as it is their decision to make.

EXPECTATIONS

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-25 19:58:04 UTC

There is a huge difference between every patient's expectations of a treatment. I have observed many patients with very high expectations and several others with almost no clear expectations but rather curiosity of finding out if they can get help to get better. As I sat in the rooms, observing one treatment at a time, I got myself thinking that it must be often difficult to be in the situation of the practitioner. I believe that a practitioner will always want to give the best appropriate treatment to their patients as well as comply to their needs and expectations. However the body might not be completely fixed from one session or maybe the patient needs to be referred or the patient's beliefs misguided him/her in his/her expectations of an osteopathic treatment etc...
The practitioner not only needs to give individuality, attention and care in his treatments, he also needs to be able to be considerate towards his patients as well as handling a good communication in order to manage the patient, his/her values, beliefs and expectations.
This is why I think that the patient's beliefs, values and expectations play a major role in a treatment and that I genuinely agree with the statement that "a patient will respond to treatment relative to their values, expectations and beliefs "

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-25 20:39:16 UTC

"Ideas are not fixed and immutable elements of thought but are formed and re-formed through experience"

Kolb, David A. Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. FT press, 2014.

The Lewinian Experiential Learning Model

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-25 20:41:32 UTC

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-25 20:43:37 UTC

"Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience"

Kolb, David A. Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. FT press, 2014.

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-25 20:47:01 UTC

Health Belief Model

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-25 20:56:37 UTC

For example: for a woman (PERSON) to quit smoking (BEHAVIOR) for health reasons (OUTCOME), she must believe that both cessation will benefit her health (OUTCOME EXPECTATIONS) and also that she is capable of quitting (EFFICACY EXPECTATIONS)

Health belief model

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-25 21:07:00 UTC

outcome expectation= how individual behavior is likely to influence outcomes
efficacy expectation= expectancies about one's own competence to perform the behavior needed to influence outcomes

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-25 21:13:15 UTC

"For behavioral change to succeed, people must have an incentive to take action, feel threatened by their current behavioral patterns and believe that change of a specific kind will be beneficial ..."

HEALTH BELIEF MODEL

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-25 21:17:06 UTC

Extract from The Clinical Application of the Biopsychosocial Model

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-25 21:34:13 UTC

"Broadly speaking, the need of the patient is to be relieved of 'distress' rightly or wrongly attributed to 'illness', however conceptualized. The expectation of the patient is that the other party, the physician, has the professional competence and motivation to provide such relief. In practical terms the doctor's tasks are, to find out how and what the patient is or has been feeling and experiencing; then to formulate explanations (hypotheses) for the patient's feelings and experiences ( the 'why' and the 'what for'); to engage the patient's participation in further clinical and laboratory studies to test such hypotheses; and, finally, to elicit the patient's cooperation in activities aimed to alleviate distress and/or correct underlying derangements that may be contributing to distress or disability. The patient's tasks and responsibilities complement those of the physician."

THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-26 00:05:47 UTC

Communication

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-27 12:05:54 UTC

I believe that communication is crucial in a treatment. Without it, the patient and the practitioner would most likely not understand each other as well as each other’s expectations. As a future practitioner, I need to keep in mind that the patient doesn’t have my knowledge and understanding about osteopathy. Which is why I need to carefully adapt my language but also explain the reasoning behind the treatment that I will be giving them. This way, by sharing this kind of information which is about them and their health, they will approve the techniques used with more acceptance. If information is given to the patient, if the how, what and why are explained throughout a clear communication, the patient will get the bigger picture and it could positively influence the outcomes of the treatment. Furthermore, a new patient, stranger to osteopathic treatments, may and will most likely have shaped beliefs and perceptions of treatment because of their personal past experiences with healthcare practitioners. Language is influential because it will determine the outcomes of the treatment and experience of the patient.

Patient's beliefs VS a student's

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-27 13:10:42 UTC

It is obvious to me that the beliefs of a patient are going to be very contrasted with the one of a student. The student has much more knowledge on osteopathy than a patient would. Wether the student is an observer or the practitioner himself, he/she would be the one with better knowledge about osteopathy and the treatment. It is through the tool of communication that the student practitioner can influence the patient's beliefs and the treatment's outcomes. As much as a patient might not have much knowledge at first, the practitioner can not only use the session to give a health care treatment but he/she also can use the session to inform the patient about osteopathy, its concepts and aims. This way, the practitioner would have helped the patient improve his/her knowledge about osteopathy and also help shape his/her beliefs that might have been misguided at first.

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-27 13:20:10 UTC

From my observation, the holistic aspect of osteopathic treatment seemed to either be loved by the patients or disliked. It seemed that the ones who didn’t completely believe in the benefits of osteopathy had fixed beliefs and established expectations from the outcomes of the treatment. Patient’s ideas and knowledge about osteopathy gave me the feeling that they would easily make their minds up and jump to conclusions about the profession. This is why the first appointment is so decisive and important. It will leave a major impact and possible changes on the patient’s beliefs and future expectations.

The Lewinian Experiential Learning Model

Student_21702646 — 2018-05-27 13:30:20 UTC

The learning model that I have been using is the Lewinian Learning Model. I have used my concrete experiences in order to then observe and reflect upon them.
I believe that it is those immediate personal experiences within the osteopathic clinic practice as an observer that helped me give meaning to the OPS, the Health Belief Model as well as the Biopsychosocial Model. The concrete experiences where I was in direct contact with practitioners and their patients allowed me to gather information and to create feedback from the treatments I observed. But not only, it is the first steps for me to learn how and where to improve my skills as a future practitioner. It is making me reflect upon my own way of practicing and what place the Osteopathic Practice Standards have in my work.

Educating Osteopaths to be Reaseachers

Student_21702646 — 2018-11-23 16:41:34 UTC

Personal Experience - Summer

Student_21702646 — 2018-11-23 16:43:12 UTC

The story that I'm gonna tell you is not about a clinic experience reflection but simply a reflection on a personal experience that I was lucky enough to experience during the summer 2018.

As I finished my last practical exams on June 27th, I found myself wondering wether or not I'll have the opportunity to practice all those wonderful that I learned in my GOT and Techniques classes as well as the knowledge I got out of my Evaluation classes. I thought to myself that all those morning sessions I spent at Boxley, all these revisions and the time I spent practicing had to be of some use even if I had only just finished my first year. Obviously I know that I still have a long path before actually being able to give a treatment or be considered as an osteopath. But, my not so little experience was not meaningless was it ? I felt this fire within after finishing my last exam, my hands were simply asking to have more, to practice and to discover!

Summer was the perfect moment to leave book asides and practice palpation and manipulation. Though I didn't expect it to happen so soon, an amazing opportunity presented itself. A wonderful woman, close to my family, was narrating her present situation after having been operated of a thyroid cancer. I was not the only one listening, I was surrounded by three/four Belgian friends. She was complaining about the negative effects of the surgery on her neck moaning about the pain that it was causing. My eyes opened wide and my heat started beating faster. I had just done the anatomy of the neck and learnt various techniques for it only a few weeks earlier !!! I looked at her, and serene and confident, I looked at her and told her that I would be happy to see what I could do to help her. She looked back at me, more curious than ever and thrilled at the idea that she could possibly get better and get rid of this painful neck situation.

Next thing I know is that she was laying down on my practice couch in my living room. Surprisingly I wasn't scared, I felt that my hands knew what to do right away. I started applying the techniques that I knew and that I thought would be appropriate for her situation. After one session her range of movement had greatly improved and the hypercontracted sternocleidomastoid was much better! She came for two more sessions closely following the first one and we managed to get rid of the blockage that could be observed in front of her throat when she was swallowing and her range of movement in the cervical spine had gone back to normal. Every time she came to see me, she left happier than ever. It truly was a gift to be able to observe the benefits of my manipulation on her physical condition and her emotional state. She knew very well that she was being treated by a 'first year' student who had three more years to go but she told me how comfortable she was with me and that she completely trusted me. This trust that she gifted me with allowed me to let my hands be free and follow their instinct. I would use numerous techniques learned at school but I would also allow myself to do manipulations that I felt were appropriate.

It is possible that I didn't realize the situation I was in. What I mean is that it is true that I am not qualified yet and that I was maybe not certified enough to deal with this patient. However, everything went well and this woman was able to find an equilibrium that she didn't have for more than two months because of this invasive surgery she had undergone previously.

This experience gave me affirmation and confidence. Not only was I happy about my performance in my final exams, I was sure I was on the right path and that lots of good things were to come wether it was going to happen here in Maidstone at the ESO or in my personal experiences outside of the university.

Student_21702646 — 2018-11-26 21:41:54 UTC

"The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said" - Peter Drucker

Student_21702646 — 2018-11-26 21:45:59 UTC

replace doctor by "practitioner"

Contemplating

Student_21702646 — 2018-11-26 21:50:46 UTC

Today, Monday 26th of November 2018, I had an amazing morning in clinic. The tutor was Mrs. X, she was very thoughtful and really tried to get us, second years, as involved as possible so our learning outcomes would be good and beneficial to us. When the tutor doesn't neglect the observers you can truly have the most wonderful experience in clinic.

But today I found myself wondering... I was observing this fourth year that I was lucky enough to be observing for several times in a row now. She is confident, strong, determined, smart and how well she does during her treatment session whether it is about her communication, patient-handling, techniques' application is very intimidating. I believe that she is some kind of role model to me and that she motivates me to work harder so when I arrive in clinic as the practitioner, I can deal with patients as well as she does.

So yes, observing her with patients is always great but I found myself wondering... we are always told at Boxley to get an ongoing-consent throughout the treatment and to involve the patient in the decision making for the given treatment. However, it is rare that I see practitioners apply these 'rules' which could be better described as 'suggestions' to ensure a positive outcome from the treatment with the patient. I am not saying that they are doing their treatments the wrong way but I question the necessity of these rules. I believe that these rules could be applied but that they would not always be necessary depending on who the patient is and the situation. I guess it is tricky considering that if consent was not received throughout the entire treatment and something goes wrong, the patient is in the stronger position compared to the osteopath.

However, I question the patient's desire and expectations. Do they demand or long for a treatment where the practitioner keeps asking for some kind of agreement or do they want someone who goes for it, simply letting them know what's happening but without questioning them every other minute.

I consider those frequent questions for consent and approval for the given treatment could be interpreted as a lack of confidence, knowledge or security.

This is where the practitioner's 'sensitivity' takes action. The practitioner should develop this type of 'patient scan reader' to know whether or not they should ask for ongoing consent etc

It is a tricky subject but being only the observer, my understanding of this topic is truly limited.
Maybe I'll get a more definite answer in the proximate future, we shall see !

Student_21702646 — 2018-11-26 22:28:21 UTC

"The interaction of knowledge and skills with experience is key to learning" - John Dewey

Student_21702646 — 2018-11-26 22:37:09 UTC

Sports Massage Course

Student_21702646 — 2019-01-13 12:35:39 UTC

During my Christmas break, I spent the first 8 days of the break in London in order to finally do the 'Sports Massage Course'. I have been dying to do it since the summer. During my first year I had considered the option of doing the course but my desire to do it was not really existent, I thought that it wouldn't bring me anything interesting and that it would be both a loss of time and money. However, as we were getting closer to our summer break, my mindset about that course completely changed. I realized what a wonderful opportunity it would be for any osteopathic student. It some ways, sports massage is complementary to osteopathy and physiotherapy. It would allow me to learn more about techniques that we weren't really taught at the ESO and to improve my skills such as : palpation, communication, patient handling, ... in the end, I realized that working as a sports massage therapist the next 2/3 years of my life, as I am undergoing my osteopathic studies, would make me a better practitioner in some many different ways.

So on Monday 17th of December, I got up early to make sure that I would be on time for the start of my course. Our teacher was Andy Graham who is both an osteopath and a sports massage therapist. He was funny, smart and considerate. Moreover he boosted our self-confidence everyday by telling us how well we were doing. He was an inspiring teacher and honestly I believe that he gave us tools and advice that I will apply for the rest of my life both in sports massage and in osteopathy. I find it amazing how someone's personal experiences can teach you so much, there is always something to learn from the person sitting next to us.

That week, I would go home with the biggest smile on my face, happy and thrilled about what I had learn that same day and I would wake up with an amazing energy and dynamic which allowed me to be 100% focused on the class once I got there. My desire to learn, improve my knowledge and develop my skills were up to the roof. I felt empowered.

I know that six days is a short period of time to master anything, but I've been practicing studying and working on my five case studies everyday since that course. Like in osteopathy, practice and studying are the keys to improvement and good skills. I've realized a while back that my hands had a long way to go before mastering anything and I am so ready to put them to work, learn and improve!

Hopefully, I'll pass my sports massage exams in two weeks, pass with great grades and get my diploma. Once that is confirmed, I will probably start working in a gym in London 2 to 3 days a week. I would mostly work with athletes because I truly want to apply all the knowledge and skills I was taught. I want to see the good effects of my work on people's bodies and musculoskeletal systems. I believe that this future job will help me evolve towards the practitioner I want to become, it's part of my journey as an osteopath and I can not wait to see and experience what is awaiting!

Cranial - first experience

Student_21702646 — 2019-01-13 12:52:13 UTC

Graham Mason came to Boxley to teach both the first and second years on Thursday the 10th of January. I believe that my whole class was excited and curious to see what this class would be like. We heard so much about cranial osteopathy and it was FINALLY HAPPENING!

As Graham Mason turned the lights off and began his class, the student group went quiet, so focused on his words that the silence in the class was chocking. I was not used to it. At least not with that intensity.

This man inspired more than one of us by the telling of his experiences as an osteopath since 1966. He reminded us that we were the practitioners of a 'silent medicine', that we treated the body as a whole and how amazing it was for us to be the next generation of osteopaths. He reminded me personally how I was the master of my own path and how I decided what kind of osteopath I wanted to become.

When it came to finally do cranial osteopathy, he showed us how to get started and how to position our hands. He also described what kind of movement we would feels against our fingers. Then, we paired up and got started. My model was Maelle and as I sat down at the end of the couch on my chair, she positioned herself supine, facing the ceiling on the couch. I positioned my hands the same way Graham Mason did, made sure my model was comfortable, and closed my eye in order to focus entirely on what was happening in between my hands. It is as if I had muted the sounds around me and my hands become my ears, the ears that we listen to the movements within the head and skull. At the beginning, the movement was small, rhythmic and it felt calm. Later on it became more intense, a bit more chaotic and not as 'symmetric' as it was previously. But I kept my hands still, in the same handhold, not adding or taking any pressure from my hold, and slowly I could feel the movement calming down and coming back to a normal and 'healthy' rhythm. I waited until the movements had become smooth and calm to finally gently take of my hands from my model's head.

It truly was a wonderful experience and I can not wait to learn more about cranial osteopathy !

Explaining to patient

Student_21702646 — 2019-03-23 12:41:49 UTC

This article explains in a simple and efficient way the link between lower back pain and tummy ache. I find it important to be able to communicate to your patient the reasons behind their pain for them to have a better understanding of your treatment and the aims behind your techniques. I believe that when the patient is willing to understand, listen and potentially ask questions, this active involvement within their treatment could have many positive effects on the outcome and furthermore it can strengthen the bond between the patient and the practitioner

About being 'sorry'

Student_21702646 — 2019-03-23 12:46:54 UTC

Not long ago I realized how often I said sorry to people around me but... for no particular reason! As if apologizing for things I did or actions I took, that believe me, were not wrong, was necessary. But what for ? It has become important for me to find a way around this problem, that every sorry that wants to get out fo my mouth is replaced by something better, something that doesn't make me feel like I'm inferior to the person to whom I'm apologizing, something that confirms my confidence in what I'm doing. I believe that the way we communicate and express ourselves, if done well, give us confidence but even more importantly, the people that we're communicating to are going to feel more comfortable and possibly trust you. I'm bringing this up because soon enough I'll be in clinic, dealing with patients, patients who want to be reassured, treated, who are waiting for a professional to take care of them. And being an osteopathic student does not or shouldn't allow me to act less like a professional.

Women & Osteopathy

Student_21702646 — 2019-03-23 13:01:56 UTC

The more I read articles, meet osteopaths, hear about some treatments' outcomes I realize how osteopathy treats an immense diversity of conditions, diseases and health issues. It is so important that whatever we are taught in university, we keep our minds open to more, that we take personal time in reading, researching, listening... our hands are our tool but our brain is the source of knowledge that can allow us to activate our hands to perform treatment and care for a patient. The importance of my anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology classes became obvious during my second year as I realized that I could not effectively treat someone if I didn't apply my knowledge of the body, it's mechanisms and musculoskeletal systems. The idea that we can facilitate women's menstruation cycles, fertility, or treat any dysfunction related to their reproductive system is fascinating. The fact that few people (in my surroundings) acknowledge or understand the expansion of osteopathy and its role in general well-being and health is discouraging but I truly believe that every single patient who is treated and who is getting the benefits of osteopathy is the most wonderful and satisfying reward.

Visceral Osteopathy for pregnant women

Student_21702646 — 2019-03-23 13:17:56 UTC

The benefits of treatment for pregnant women.

Stretches for the back

Student_21702646 — 2019-03-23 13:21:14 UTC

Do you want to get your patient involved in their recovery ? Giving their advice and exercises to do at home is the best way to improve their recovery along with treatment. Here is a chart of some simple back stretches that anyone can do at home.

Severity of Pain (SOCRATES)

Student_21702646 — 2019-03-23 13:24:34 UTC

The severity of pain when asked to the patient is a subjective marker. However, I do believe that it is important to ask the patient to grade their pain level on a scale from 1 to 10. Not only does it allow you to have an understanding of what they're going through, but it will also allow you to show empathy and compassion for them. If your patient feels that you're caring for them, their pain and their complaint it will potentially increase their trust, comfort with you and also reassure them. Additionally, whether you decide to trust how severe your patient describe their pain or not, it could be an indicator for your working hypothesis, diagnosis and treatment plan.

Adapting to one's needs

Student_21702646 — 2019-04-30 11:30:43 UTC

In the ESO clinic or in my job as a sports massage therapist I am realizing how important it is to get to know the person who is sitting in front of you in a way that allows you to give them the treatment and care they are expecting from a therapist/practitioner.

We are taught to meet certain standards but I believe that, once one is comfortable applying those standards, we have to work around the patient's needs and expectations. We've already studied the different kind of patients you can come across in clinic. For instance we have the silent patient, the talkative patient, the angry or disruptive patient, etc This already demands efforts and sensitivity from the practitioner in order to work with the patient hoping that this one is a minimum compliant. But then you have patients who feel the need to be informed about what the practitioner is doing, who need explanations for the techniques used and the mechanisms behind these. Then you have patients who don't want any of that and just came in to get fixed and don't want any information about the process and the given treatment. This can have a great deal with the treatment's outcome and the patient's recovery.

The understanding of the 5 Osteopathic Models

Student_21702646 — 2019-05-18 14:39:25 UTC

As I read through my notes about the 5 models, I start analyzing more and more underlying links between them and the 10 osteopathic principles. They go together, one wouldn't exist if the other was never established. Additionally, as I'm trying to fully understand the meaning of each model, I notice that I personally need to assimilate and acknowledge them to give to my future treatments a real and complete notion and intention of an osteopathic treatment. It does seem that sometimes we get lost in the medical aspect of our treatments. This is probably due to the evolution of osteopathy in our modern society and the important place that it has now compared to the past. But that doesn't forbid us to forget about the foundations of osteopathy established by the father of Osteopathy himself as well as his fellow colleagues, leaders of the evolution of Osteopathy. Furthermore, I would say that including those models in every aspect of our patient's evaluation and treatment is fundamental for a good and positive outcome in the patient's recovery and response to the given treatment.

I will, eventually, talk more in depth about each model and explain my viewpoint on them.

Student_21702646 — 2019-06-25 09:02:48 UTC

Student_21702646 — 2019-06-25 09:03:10 UTC

Student_21702646 — 2019-06-25 09:03:28 UTC

Student_21702646 — 2019-06-25 09:04:01 UTC

Student_21702646 — 2019-06-25 09:04:16 UTC

Student_21702646 — 2019-06-25 09:04:32 UTC

Answering to a letter of complaint

Student_21702646 — 2019-06-25 09:04:44 UTC

This is a coursework done for Professional Skills & Identity which made us deal with a patient's complaint. We had to write a letter answering to this patient taking into consideration every aspect of the complaint. It was a very interesting work and I really enjoyed doing it.

Merck Manual

Student_21702646 — 2019-06-25 10:35:41 UTC

Complaints Procedure

Student_21702646 — 2019-06-26 10:09:49 UTC

26/06/19 mentioned by Rob Thomas during clinical induction week, important to make ourselves familiar with it !

Spine Health

Student_21702646 — 2019-06-26 10:12:04 UTC

This website was mentioned by tutor Rob Thomas and he was saying that he was using it to help the patient visualise and understand their condition and whats happening within their body. I believe that we have to use easy, direct tools in order to support our patients in taking care of their health and well-being and if they have an understanding of their body's structures and of what's happening, they will probably adapt their lifestyle more appropriately.

Reflection on my 1st and 2nd Year

Student_21702646 — 2019-07-31 09:00:29 UTC

It's official, I've passed my second year !!!
Now that I'm about to start my third year in about a month and a half, I'm reflecting a lot on what the previous two years have brought me. After my first year I felt very confused because of all the tools and theory we had learnt but we hadn't been taught how or when to really apply them. I did manage to use many techniques I had been taught and finding my own way through all this knowledge. However, our second year was so exciting because it really helped me see the bigger picture. Our different classes really started linking with each other, everything made so much more sense and every class was complementary to the others and that made it much more fun and interesting. I feel like our teachers and assistants have made an excellent job at preparing us for clinic and that the it is now our job to make sure we're prepared and ready to fulfill what's expected from us. Trevor has been outstanding teaching second years both anatomy and pathophysiology. He was always there for us and has been a fantastic teacher! I have also loved my class with Catherine Claire. She is direct, simple and has great techniques that she explains very well. I have found her class very useful and interesting and the techniques we learnt were varied in types. I can not wait to make a real use of them in clinic.
Clinical Integration has truly been helpful in order to make us practice 'clinic' style, helping us put a treatment session together and understanding the logic and the process of it. I'm grateful we had this class because I do not think that I would have felt that ready for clinic without it.
This second year passed so fast but I feel ready for the next step of the adventure, starting my third year which will be so very different from the previous two. Starting to treat real patients, learning from our clinic tutors, learning from each other and being challenged by everything and everyone.