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Osteopathy—Your Path to Better Health:

Pain doesn’t have to control your life. Imagine moving freely again without discomfort holding you back. At Five Dock Osteopathic and Chiropractic, we combine skilled hands with proven methods to help you recover. Our clinic provides the perfect environment for natural healing, while our compassionate team ensures every treatment is gentle and effective. With years of specialised training, we identify subtle body connections that others often miss and explain each step of your treatment in clear, simple terms. Thousands of patients have discovered lasting relief through our approach. This guide explains what to expect during your first visit, turning uncertainty into confidence as you begin your healing journey.

30 sec takeaway

Your first visit to a Sydney osteopath involves a comprehensive approach to healing. We’ll take a detailed medical history, perform hands-on assessments, and develop a personalized treatment plan targeting the root cause of your pain—not just the symptoms. With over 140 years of proven effectiveness and strong scientific backing, osteopathy offers natural relief for numerous conditions. You’ll leave your first appointment with practical home care recommendations and a clear understanding of your treatment pathway. Our gentle techniques activate your body’s natural healing abilities, providing a safe, holistic alternative to conventional pain management. Take the first step toward lasting relief today!

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Sydney Osteopath performing hands on care on a female patient. The patient is wearing a white singlet. Osteopath is wearing a white shirt.

What Is Osteopathy?:

Osteopathy is a hands-on healthcare approach that recognises the vital relationship between your body’s structure and function. Rather than viewing your body as separate parts, we understand it as an integrated whole where all systems work together. This comprehensive perspective allows us to trace how a problem in one area creates issues elsewhere, uncovering the true source of your discomfort.
The power of osteopathic care lies in enhancing your body’s natural healing abilities. Through precise, gentle techniques, we restore optimal function and balance throughout your system. We treat the full person, taking into account lifestyle, mental, and physical variables that affect your health, in contrast to treatments that solely focus on symptoms. Your body has amazing healing powers already; our skill just takes away the barriers that stand in the way of this healing process.

The History of Osteopathic Medicine:

Osteopathy’s rich history spans over 140 years, beginning when Dr. Andrew Taylor Still established the practice in 1874. Rejecting the harsh and often ineffective medical approaches of his era, Dr. Still pioneered a revolutionary system focused on the body’s innate ability to heal itself. He developed gentler, more holistic treatment methods that transformed healthcare and continue to influence medical practice today.
At Five Dock Osteopathic and Chiropractic, we respect this powerful legacy while embracing modern advances. We thoughtfully blend time-tested techniques with cutting-edge research, allowing our practice to evolve while remaining faithful to osteopathy’s core principles. The enduring global success of osteopathic medicine—helping millions of people worldwide—stands as a testament to its effectiveness. These methods have thrived for nearly a century and a half because they consistently deliver results.
Your First Appointment: What to Expect
Comprehensive Health History:

Your healing journey begins with an in-depth conversation about your health. We’ll explore your current symptoms, discussing exactly how they affect your daily life and when they first appeared. Understanding your past injuries is crucial, as they often create lasting patterns in your body that influence your current condition. Even health issues that seem unrelated can provide valuable insights into your overall well-being. By asking targeted questions, we uncover connections that paint a complete picture of your health.
Come prepared to discuss your medications, surgical history, daily activities, and work habits—all factors that significantly impact your physical health. Even details like your sleeping position can provide important clues about your condition. The more comprehensive information you share, the more precisely we can tailor your treatment. This detailed conversation lays the essential groundwork for creating your personalised care plan.
Man professional osteopath chiropractor is consulting man showing him spine layout in hospital. They talking about backbone problems. Checkup, prevention examination, diagnosis, medicine concept.

Thorough Physical Examination:

Following your health history, we conduct a comprehensive physical assessment where we carefully observe how your body functions. We analyse your posture and movement patterns—the way you sit, stand, and walk—noting how even simple movements can reveal complex underlying issues. Your body communicates through these movements, displaying areas of tension, restriction, and compensation that tell the story of your condition. Our experienced eyes detect subtle patterns that are often overlooked.
This examination includes specific orthopaedic and neurological tests to evaluate your joint mobility, muscle strength, and nerve function throughout your body. We assess how well your tissues move and function, identifying restrictions in muscles, joints, and fascia (the connective tissue surrounding muscles and organs). This thorough, whole-body approach allows us to look beyond obvious symptoms to discover the true source of your discomfort—often in surprising places.
Skilled Hands-On Assessment:

Our advanced hands-on assessment is what makes osteopathic care unique. Our sense of touch has been honed through years of specialised training to identify minute tissue changes that even cutting-edge imaging technologies would overlook. We can detect movement limitations, tissue texture changes, temperature fluctuations that suggest inflammation, and fascial patterns that link seemingly unconnected parts of your body by gently palpating them.
As we evaluate your body’s response to carefully guided movements, we gather vital information about how your tissues react. These responses reveal how restrictions in one area create cascading effects throughout your body. Your system develops fascinating but often problematic compensation patterns as it attempts to maintain function despite these restrictions. By methodically tracing these patterns to their origin, we develop a precise map of your body’s dysfunction that guides our targeted treatment approach.
patient sitting on couch and doctor massaging patient shoulder in massage cabinet at clinic

Clear Discussion of Findings

After completing our comprehensive assessment, we take time to clearly explain what we’ve discovered. Your osteopath will identify the root causes of your pain and illustrate how different areas of your body are interconnecting to create your symptoms. We translate complex biomechanical relationships into straightforward explanations that make sense. This clarity often provides that “aha moment” where you finally understand why previous treatments may have provided only temporary relief.
We’ll outline realistic expectations for your recovery journey, recognising that each condition and person responds differently to treatment. Some issues resolve quickly with targeted care, while others require a more comprehensive, longer-term approach. We’ll discuss factors that might influence your healing timeline, including stress levels, sleep quality, and daily activities. This honest, transparent conversation builds the trust and partnership essential for successful treatment. Together, we’ll create a practical roadmap to recovery that empowers you to take an active role in your healing process.
Young male patient having a osteopath first visit. He is having massage done on his lower back by doctor.

Personalised Treatment:

With a clear understanding of your condition, we begin your hands-on osteopathic treatment. Using gentle yet precise techniques specifically tailored to your needs, your osteopath applies a customised combination of therapeutic approaches. Soft tissue techniques release long-held muscle tension patterns. Gentle joint mobilisations restore proper alignment and movement. Myofascial release techniques address restrictions in the connective tissue network that spans your entire body. For some patients, subtle cranial techniques influence deeper physiological processes. Each method serves a specific purpose in your unique treatment plan, creating a synergy that produces powerful, lasting results.
The treatment experience varies for each person. Many patients experience profound relaxation as chronically tense tissues finally release. Some techniques provide immediate pain relief, while others initiate healing processes that continue to unfold hours or even days after your session. Throughout your treatment, we explain each technique and welcome your feedback, allowing us to adjust our pressure and approach for maximum comfort and effectiveness. This collaborative process ensures you feel safe, respected, and actively involved in your care.

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Practical Home Care Recommendations:

Your healing journey extends far beyond our clinic walls. To support your continued progress between sessions, we provide specific, personalised home care recommendations that complement your in-clinic treatment. Simple, targeted exercises help reinforce the positive changes we’ve made during your session. Practical posture guidance prevents the return of problematic patterns. Strategic ergonomic adjustments transform daily activities from sources of strain into opportunities for reinforcing healthy movement. Self-care techniques empower you to extend your treatment benefits, while targeted lifestyle modifications address underlying factors contributing to your condition.
We take time to carefully demonstrate each exercise and technique, ensuring you understand how to perform them correctly at home. Clear, simple instructions help you avoid common mistakes that might reduce effectiveness. We explain the purpose behind each recommendation, knowing that understanding “why” significantly increases your motivation and commitment. Rather than overwhelming you with too many changes at once, we focus on manageable steps that fit realistically into your daily life. This thoughtful approach to home care dramatically accelerates your healing process and helps create lasting, sustainable improvements in your health.

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Scientific Research Supporting Osteopathy:

Strong scientific research is increasingly validating the effectiveness of osteopathic treatment. Numerous clinical studies demonstrate significant benefits, including substantial pain reduction, improved physical function, accelerated recovery from injuries, decreased reliance on pain medications, and enhanced overall quality of life. This growing body of evidence confirms what patients have experienced for generations—osteopathy works.
A comprehensive 2015 review published in the Journal of Manual Therapy analysed multiple high-quality studies and found strong evidence supporting osteopathy’s effectiveness for treating low back pain. Similarly, research in the Journal of American Osteopathic Association documented significant improvement in patients with chronic neck pain following osteopathic treatment. The scientific literature consistently shows that osteopathic care benefits both acute injuries and long-standing chronic conditions. Moreover, emerging research supports osteopathy’s valuable role in preventative healthcare, helping patients maintain optimal function and prevent future problems.

Is Osteopathy Right for You?

Osteopathy offers effective treatment for a wide range of conditions affecting people of all ages and lifestyles. Patients frequently experience significant improvement with:
  • Back and neck pain, including disc problems and sciatica.
  • Tension headaches and migraines.
  • Joint pain and arthritis.
  • Sports and repetitive strain injuries.
  • Pregnancy-related discomfort and postpartum recovery.
  • Digestive issues and other functional disorders.
The versatility of osteopathic care makes it appropriate across the lifespan. Infants and babies benefit from gentle cranial techniques that can help with feeding difficulties, sleep problems, and developmental concerns. Children typically respond quickly to osteopathic treatment for injuries, posture issues, and growing pains. Adults find relief from both acute injuries and long-standing chronic conditions that have failed to respond to other approaches. Elderly patients experience improved mobility, balance, and quality of life. Athletes gain enhanced performance and faster recovery through specialised treatment approaches. Pregnant women find relief from the unique physical challenges of pregnancy through safe, adaptive techniques. This remarkable adaptability makes osteopathy a valuable healthcare option for virtually everyone.
Young woman suffering from back pain caused by facet syndrome. she is sitting on here bed holding her back.

Your Next Steps:

Your journey towards pain-free living begins with a single step—reaching out to schedule your first appointment. To make the most of your initial visit, gather any relevant medical records or imaging reports you may have. Plan to wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that allows easy movement and proper assessment. Arriving a few minutes early gives you time to complete any necessary paperwork without feeling rushed. Come prepared with questions about your specific condition and treatment options. Most importantly, arrive with an open mind and readiness to participate actively in your healing journey.
Remember that true healing often requires time and consistency. The body’s natural healing processes can’t be rushed, but they can be optimally supported. Follow through with your recommended treatment plan, including any follow-up appointments. Practice your home exercises faithfully, implementing suggested lifestyle modifications consistently. Communicate openly with your osteopath about your progress, challenges, and any new developments in your condition. Trust the healing process even when progress isn’t perfectly linear—some days may feel better than others as your body adjusts. Your commitment to this partnership significantly impacts your outcomes and can lead to lasting improvements in your health and well-being

happy trendy mother and child on seashore having fun time starting their journey

Begin Your Healing Journey Today:

Your first visit to Five Dock Osteopathic and Chiropractic marks the beginning of a transformative health journey. Unlike approaches that merely mask symptoms, we identify and address the true underlying causes of your discomfort. Our comprehensive treatment philosophy considers your entire body as an interconnected system, using gentle yet powerful techniques that stimulate your body’s innate healing responses. Personalised recommendations extend these benefits between sessions, while our evidence-based methods ensure you receive the most effective care possible. Together, these elements create a pathway to lasting, meaningful improvements in your health and quality of life.
Don’t allow pain to dictate your possibilities any longer. The decision to take that first step towards lasting relief can transform your daily experience. Your osteopath stands ready to guide you through this journey with expertise, compassion, and personalised care. Natural, effective healing awaits—all that’s needed is your decision to begin. The power to reclaim your health and well-being is already within you, and we’re here to help you unlock it. Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation and discover what’s possible when your body is given the support it needs to thrive.
 

About the Author

Dr Luis Thomsen osteopath head shot. Luis is wearing a black polo shirt. Osteopathic treatment.

Dr Luis Thomsen

Luis is an empathetic osteopath whose gentle approach has helped countless patients find relief from pain and discomfort. With his warm personality and expert hands, Luis creates personalized treatment plans that address both your immediate symptoms and long-term wellbeing. His patients appreciate his thoughtful nature and ability to explain complex conditions in simple terms.    

Originating from over in New Zealand, Luis developed a love for osteopathy and manual care from a young age, due to its holistic nature.  With a special interest in manual therapy, anxiety and related breathing activities.  You will find the care you need with Luis. 

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Our Local Treatment Service Area

Forest Lodge, Annandale, Glebe, Leichhardt, Balmain, Haberfield, Canada Bay, Rozelle, Rodd Point, Wareemba, Stanmore, Petersham, Lilyfield, Hunters Hill, Enfield, Cabarita, Mortlake, Rhodes, Burwood Heights, Birchgrove, Gladesville, Huntleys Point, Abbotsford, Ashfield, Croydon Park, Croydon, Chiswick, Russell Lea, Burwood, Strathfield, Concord, Drummoyne, North Strathfield, Liberty Grove, Dulwich Hill, Lewisham, Camperdown,  Ashbury, Homebush, Homebush West, Woolwich, Henley, Summer Hill, Sydney Olympic Park

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Proudly serving the local community of Five Dock since 1975

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About

Five Dock Osteopathic & Chiropractic is located in Canada Bay, in Sydney’s Inner West. Servicing suburbs including Burwood, Croydon, Drummoyne, Five Dock, Haberfield, Concord, Abbotsford, Chiswick, Leichhardt, Wareemba, Russell Lea, Summer Hill, Strathfield.

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Neck and upper back

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Lower back pain and sciatica

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Clinic hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday   7AM – 7PM

Wednesday, Friday                   7AM – 6PM

Saturday                                      7AM – 2PM

Sunday                                         8AM – 2PM

Contact details

212 Great North Road, Five Dock, NSW 2046

Phone: 02 9712 1736

Email  : [email protected]

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