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Welcome to the website of the South Wales Osteopathic Society (SWOS), a resource for the general public and for Osteopaths who are members of the society.
Find out more about Osteopathy and how it can help you. This gives general information about frequently asked questons.
Find Your Local Osteopath near you.
For more detailed information our A-Z of Osteopathy has a wealth of easy to read information on topics relating to osteopathy. If you want to know about the osteopathic approach to a particular aspect of health care, this section should help you.
Also click on links to other websites that SWOS finds of interest.
If you are an osteopath and SWOS member, you can access the discussion forum about clinical matters and see the diary of upcoming SWOS events.
The South Wales Osteopathic Society was set up in 1995 to further post-graduate education and as a discussion forum for osteopaths. It meets four or more times a year for lectures on a wide range of subjects relevant to the practice of osteopathy in order to enhance patient care.
What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a system of diagnosis and treatment by manipulation of the joints, muscles and other soft tissues of the body. Osteopaths use hands-on  manual techniques to treat patients with a wide variety of conditions arising from or affected by the musculo-skeletal system.
These conditions can include low back pain, neck pain, chest pain, sciatica, other nerve root syndromes, disc trouble, “facet joint” injuries, sacro-iliac joint problems, shoulder complaints, tennis and golfers elbow, wrist strains, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, fibromyalgia, thoracic outlet syndrome, headaches, tinnitus, sinusitis, hip trouble, knee strains, foot problems, irritable bowel syndrome, glue ear, colic..
Conditions may arise through injury, poor posture, lifting or twisting strains, poorly designed work environment, birth trauma, sports, growth disorders, repetitive strain injuries (RSI), pregnancy, or wear and tear.
Osteopaths successfully treat all ages, from birth to old age. An osteopathic treatment is tailored to the needs of the individual patient.
When you go to an osteopath, they will take a case history and examine you. They will make a diagnosis based on their findings, or in some cases may need to refer for further tests such as x-ray. They will explain their conclusions and proposed treatment plan to you and answer any questions you may have before starting treatment.
Under the Osteopaths Act 1993, only practitioners who are registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) - a statutory body - can call themselves osteopaths.
The GOsC maintains and monitors high educational and ethical standards for the protection of the public. They inspect and approve all osteopathic colleges from which, after a rigorous training of at least four years, osteopaths qualify. All osteopaths are required to regularly update their knowledge and clinical skills with continuous professional development
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