Why Your Osteo Gives You Exercises

By Carien Boshoff

If you’ve ever left an osteopathy appointment thinking, “That treatment felt great… but now I have exercises to do?”, you’re not alone.

It can feel like the hands-on treatment should be enough. But there’s a clear reason your osteopath prescribes exercises, and it’s one of the most important parts of your care.

Osteopathy doesn’t stop at the treatment table

Osteopathic care isn’t just about what happens during your appointment. It’s also about what happens between appointments.

Hands on treatment can help to:

• Reduce pain

• Improve joint mobility

• Ease muscle tension

However, these changes may be short-term if they’re not supported by changes in movement, strength or daily habits. Exercises help support and maintain the improvements made during treatment

Supporting longer term change

Think of treatment and exercise as working together.

• Hands on care can help create changes in how your body feels and moves

• Exercise helps reinforce and maintain those changes over time

Without this support, it’s common for the body to return to previous movement patterns or habits that may have contributed to the issue.

Your body adapts to what you do regularly

The body responds and adapts to repeated activities and positions.

For example:

• Long periods of sitting

• Repetitive movements at work or sport

• Limited movement variety

Over time, this can contribute to:

• Reduced movement in some areas

• Increased load on others

• Changes in strength and control

Exercises are prescribed to help address these factors by improving:

• Movement • Strength • Coordination • Load tolerance

Exercises aren’t always where the pain is

Just like treatment isn’t always applied directly where you feel pain, exercises may also target other areas.

For example:

• Neck discomfort → exercises for the upper back or shoulders

• Low back discomfort → exercises for the hips or trunk

• Knee discomfort → exercises for the surrounding muscles, such as the thighs and calves

This reflects how different parts of the body work together and share load.

It’s not just about getting stronger

Exercise prescription in osteopathy may focus on different goals depending on your presentation, including:

• Mobility (improving range of motion)

• Motor control (how you move)

• Strength

• Endurance

• Gradual return to activity

Programs are typically tailored to the individual, based on assessment findings and goals.

Do you have to do the exercises?

Your osteopath will work with you to create a plan that is:

• Realistic

• Individualised

• Relevant to your goals

Consistency can influence outcomes, but programs are usually adaptable depending on your capacity, time and preferences.

The goal of your exercises

Exercise prescription is not an add-on, it’s a key part of care. It aims to help you:

• Move with more confidence

• Build resilience

• Support your day-to-day activities

Rather than focusing only on short-term relief, the aim is to support longer-term improvement and reduce the likelihood of recurring issues where possible.

Bringing it all together

When your osteopath gives you exercises, it reflects a broader approach to your care.

It’s not just about: “How can we ease symptoms today?”

It’s also about: “What can support your movement and function over time?”

References (APA 7th)

Adams, J., Sibbritt, D., Steel, A., Peng, W., et al. (2018). A workforce survey of Australian osteopathy: Analysis of a nationally representative sample of osteopaths from the Osteopathy Research and Innovation Network (ORION) project. BMC Health Services Research, 18, 352. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3158-y

Cerritelli, F., van Dun, P. L. S., Esteves, J. E., Consorti, G., & Licciardone, J. C. (2021). Osteopathic empirical research: A bibliometric analysis. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 21, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-021-03366-3

Leach, M. J., Sundberg, T., Fryer, G., Austin, P., Thomson, O. P., & Adams, J. (2019). An investigation of Australian osteopaths’ attitudes, skills and utilisation of evidence-based practice: A national cross-sectional survey. BMC Health Services Research, 19, 498. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4329-1

Osteopathy Australia. (n.d.). What is osteopathy? https://osteopathy.org.au

World Health Organization. (2010). Benchmarks for training in osteopathy. World Health Organization.