When we opened our Howitt Street clinic with osteos and physios under the one roof, some were very surprised! Aren’t you in competition with each other? Don’t you dislike each other?

Osteopaths and physiotherapists often work together in Australian private practice because their skills and approaches complement each other, allowing for a more comprehensive and holistic approach to patient care. Multidisciplinary care is the gold standard for many conditions and we wholeheartedly believe that it leads to better outcomes for patients. In our clinic we not only combine osteopathy and physiotherapy but also Remedial Massage, Pilates and Exercise Physiology. We have hand picked a team of clinicians that share our values and approach to healthcare, no matter their qualification. Here are some key reasons why we collaborate at Eureka Health:

1. Complementary Expertise:

• Physiotherapists:

  • In private practice physios tend to focus on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of musculoskeletal and neurological conditions. They often use techniques like exercise prescription, manual therapy, and education to restore function, reduce pain, and improve movement .

• Osteopaths:

  • Take a holistic approach to healthcare, focusing on the body as a whole. They use hands-on techniques to diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions, emphasising the interrelationship between the body's structure and function. Osteopaths often work with the musculoskeletal system but also consider other systems, such as the circulatory, lymphatic, and nervous systems. Similar to physios, osteos also will prescribe exercises, rehab and education.

2. Holistic and Integrated Care:

• By working together, osteopaths and physiotherapists can provide a more holistic and integrated approach to patient care. This integrated approach to your care also includes exercise physiology (EP) and remedial massage. All of our allied health team are aware of which type of therapy and which person within our clinic is best positioned to help you. It might be the case that your initial acute injury has improved while seeing one of our clinicians and then the next phase to full recovery might be better dealt with one of our clinicians who can guide you through and strength program, or a resistance program for bone health for example.

• Our practice management systems and the ability for us to have case discussion in house means that we can tailor your care to maximise your outcome and return to better health.

3. Broader Treatment Options:

• Patients benefit from a wider range of treatment options when osteopaths and physiotherapists work together. We have a variety of clinicians that are experienced in soft tissue massage, joint mobilisation, joint manipulation, exercise prescription, post-operative rehab, dry needling, fascial release, strength and conditioning for rehab and to enhance performance, Pilates…the list goes on.

• As stated above, this variety in treatment options can enhance the effectiveness of care and lead to better outcomes.

4. Shared Knowledge and Skills:

• All of our clinicians bring different perspectives and skills to the table, which can lead to better problem-solving and more effective treatment plans. We can learn from each other and this collaboration enhances the professional development of our practitioners and improves the overall standard of care within the practice.

5. Patient-Centred Care:

• Working together allows us to provide you more personalised and patient-centred care. We can collaborate on treatment plans, ensuring that all aspects of your health are considered and that care is tailored to the your individual needs .

• This teamwork can lead to a more cohesive and coordinated treatment experience, reducing the need for multiple appointments at different locations and ensuring consistency in care.

6. Efficiency and Convenience:

• Having osteos, physios, EP and remedial massage in the same practice is convenient and can streamline the treatment process. You don’t need to go to different clinics or manage multiple appointments with different healthcare providers, making it easier to receive co-ordinated care .

• This setup also allows for better communication between practitioners, ensuring that everyone involved in a patient’s care is on the same page.

• Of course, if we think you need to see someone outside of our practice with better expertise to help you, or need referral for appropriate medication or perhaps surgery, we will send you to the right people who we communicate with clearly, once again helping you achieve the best possible outcome.

In summary, the range of professions we have working at Eureka Health we have teamed together because of their complementary skills, approaches, and perspectives. This enables a far more comprehensive, holistic, and effective approach to patient care. This collaboration enhances the quality of treatment, improves patient outcomes, and offers a more convenient and coordinated healthcare experience. If this sounds like what you’ve been looking for, then please click here and make a booking now. We look forward to meeting you in the clinic and helping you to better health.

References:

• Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) – "What is Physiotherapy?" https://australian.physio

• Physiopedia – "Physiotherapy Overview." https://www.physio-pedia.com/Physiotherapy

• Osteopathy Australia – "What is Osteopathy?" https://www.osteopathy.org.au

• Journal of Interprofessional Care – "Collaboration Between Physiotherapists and Osteopaths." https://www.tandfonline.com

• Manual Therapy Journal – "Integration of Physiotherapy and Osteopathy in Multidisciplinary Practice." https://www.journals.elsevier.com/manual-therapy

• British Journal of Sports Medicine – "Interprofessional Collaboration in Musculoskeletal Care." https://bjsm.bmj.com

• The Lancet – "Patient-Centered Care in Allied Health." https://www.thelancet.com

• Health Services Research – "Benefits of Multidisciplinary Clinics." https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com

• BMC Health Services Research – "Multidisciplinary Team Approach to Chronic Conditions." https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com

These references provide further reading on the topics discussed and support the collaboration between osteopaths and physiotherapists in Australian private practice.