Oxford Osteopathic Network!

Oxford Osteopathic Network has been running since 2011 and it has quite a memorable story: 3 local osteopaths sat by chance at the same table in a wedding and thinking: how come this doesn’t happen more often! And so they decided to set up Oxford Osteopathic Network (OON)! Osteopathy has been around in the UK for over 100 years, and nowadays there are over 5,300 osteopaths (approx. 100 of whom work in Oxfordshire) treating over 30,000 patients a day! So, we can all agree that OON was a necessity!

Although at the moment all members of OON are osteopaths, they welcome other allied health professionals and have had Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Speech Therapists, etc attending their events! So if this applies to you, go check their website! You would be joining a friendly family of osteopaths that are looking to help get the best out of each other for the benefit of Oxfordshire’s population! They meet regularly to get advice from fellow osteopaths! A win-win for everybody, patients and osteopaths! ONN motto? Community, Collaboration, and Development!

If you are not an Osteopath or have never had an osteopathic treatment you are probably wondering why this might be relevant to you. Well, is it simple: the benefits of osteopathy are far-reaching! We asked Jim from OON a couple of questions to get a better understanding.

What are the benefits of seeing an Osteopath?

There is an ever-increasing body of research to support the evidence that we’re effective for a wide range of conditions including – arthritis and joint pains, circulatory problems, cramp, digestive problems, fibromyalgia, frozen shoulder, elbow pain, neck related headaches and migraines, general acute and chronic back pain, sports injuries, muscle spasms, neuralgias or trapped nerves including sciatica, and many other ailments.

What would you say are an Osteopath’s strongest values?

Understanding people: we know all the anatomy and physiology you’d expect of graduates of a 4-year full-time degree course and we appreciate the wonder of human-beings.

Patient-focused and principle based, not prescriptive or disease-centric: we are interested in you, and your health, you’re more than just a set of symptoms or a disease. We treat you in a unique and focused way to help encourage health using our principles not a set of protocols making you the centre of our treatment.

Accessible: In more ways than one – we’re affordable the average cost of seeing a UK osteopath is £48 a consultation/treatment, we’re closer than you might think, there’s likely to be an Osteopath just up the road from you, and you can often book an appointment within 48 hours of contacting us.

What can people expect from you at FitFest Oxford?

We will be running mini- 1-2-1’s to give people the opportunity to consult with an osteopath and for them to answer any questions you might have about your own health, activity, or how osteopathy might help you, we’re also manning a stall that’s full of advice, myth-busting information, and interesting facts about how you can keep fit and healthy.

Why are you excited to be involved in FitFest Oxford?

This is our first event as a group, and we can’t wait to help spread the word about what osteopathy is and how it can help you!