“When we relate to our bodies as having soul, we attend to their beauty, their poetry, and their expressiveness. Our very habit of treating the body as a machine, whose muscles are like pulleys and its organs engines, forces its poetry underground, so that we experience the body as an instrument and see its poetics only in illness.” 

Thomas Moore

Nanaimo Osteopathy

A holistic approach to the human body that incorporates soft tissue work, craniosacral therapy, visceral manipulation, and joint mobilization. 

Erin graduated from the Canadian School of Osteopathy (CSO), a five year curriculum,  and James is a 5th year student of the CSO.

Treatments work to restore movement to areas of restriction in the body in a gentle, non-invasive way reducing stresses on the body’s tissues which contributes to discomfort. Treatment using this approach are provided while the client is fully clothed (in flexible, comfortable clothing) and no oils are used.

The initial treatment begins with a thorough exploration of your medical history. Our discussion will include major illnesses, sprains/strains, major/minor accidents, and major life incidents that you feel have affected your health. We will also cover what you would like to accomplish in the sessions and answer any questions you may have. Objective testing will then take place. The practitioner will guide you through some general mobility, biomechanical, and orthopedic tests. These will begin with general standing tests and progress to more specific tests on the treatment table. Assessment of posture, muscle balance, joint function of the spine and pelvis are observed and documented. Gentle techniques are used to release and realign the body, enhance circulation and lymphatic flow to improve mobility by freeing restrictions within joints and muscles allowing the body’s healing abilities to work more efficiently.

Treatments are focused on the cause of the symptoms rather than symptoms. Clients are often surprised how the area where their discomfort is felt is not necessarily the source. Instead of chasing the symptoms, the origin is sought out. The goal of this style of treatment is to restore movement and function to the body.

Soft Tissue Treatment

Soft tissue or “fascial” treatment works at a deep level to treat the whole chain of tissue.

Oftentimes discomfort shows up further from the original source than you’d think. Fascial treatment can unlock chains of tissue and is known to provide immense relief from issues like tennis elbow, TMJ, carpel-tunnel, or knee.

Bone & Joint Mobilization

Joint Mobilization is a gentle  passive movement or oscillations of a synovial joint.

The goal is to decrease discomfort and increase joint mobility for healthier movement.

Visceral Treatment

Gentle techniques applied to the soft tissue surrounding viscera and organs to improve circulation, function and to get rid of scar tissue.

Some symptoms visceral work can assist with are digestive problems, abdominal cramps, IBS, or fertility issues.

Craniosacral Therapy

Craniosacral deals with the cranium, the sacrum, and the spinal column.

Craniosacral therapy assists restrictions along the dural tube, as well as the nerves which exit the spine.

This approach can be helpful for symptoms of insomnia, headaches, stress, spinal cord injuries, or fibromyalgia.

Erin and James do not diagnose or practice medicine. Nor do they attempt to treat disease. Their techniques utilize a hands-on approach to alleviate tension and remove restrictions in our body’s system to help relieve discomfort and improve mobility. If you are concerned about any medical pathology/disease, always consult your physician prior to exploring any manual treatment.

Erin & James are members of Osteopathy BC. For more information on Osteopathy: