Philip Bayliss, St Albans Osteopathy, Christchurch

PHILIP BAYLISS, Registered Osteopath
St Albans Osteopathy, 43 Thames Street, St Albans, Christchurch. Phone: 03 356 1353

Philip trained at the British School of Osteopathy, the oldest and largest training establishment for osteopaths in Europe, graduating in 1986. The four year full-time course included the study of anatomy, physiology, pathology, embryology, neurology, paediatrics, orthopaedics, rheumatology and psychology to a similar standard as medical schools plus the principals, theory, techniques and clinical practice of osteopathy. Before graduating as an osteopath, Philip did over 1000 hours of supervised consultations with real patients in the BSO Clinic. While he was a student osteopath, Philip had a special interest in, and did extra clinics in: sports injuries, orthopaedics, pregnancy and the care of babies and children.

Philip has undertaken postgraduate studies at leading osteopath colleges in advanced manipulative techniques, spinal balancing, therapeutic massage, injury rehabilitation, functional technique, neuromuscular technique, fascial release technique, harmonic technique, muscle energy technique, clinical kinesiology, activator methods, visceral osteopathy and cranial osteopathy (the Sutherland Cranial Teaching Foundation course at the BSO). He participates in at least 25 hours of osteopaths professional development courses every year and holds a current first aid certificate. He is registered with the Osteopathic Council of New Zealand, is a member of the New Zealand Pain Society and was previously leader of the Canterbury peer group of the Osteopathic Society of New Zealand, organising meetings and courses in Christchurch for Canterbury osteopaths. Philip has had an interest in naturopathy and holistic medicine since 1975 and often gives nutritional and lifestyle advice to his patients. He became a certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher in 1984. He keeps up to date in all aspects of natural medicine by regularly attending conferences, seminars and workshops.

From 1986 to 1997 Philip was the principal osteopath at Agincourt Osteopathy in the historic market town of Monmouth, Wales, where he was known as "Bayliss the Bones". He emigrated from the UK to New Zealand in 1997, and became a NZ citizen in 2001. Philip established Wanganui East Osteopathy in Wanganui in 1997 and St Albans Osteopathy in Christchurch in 2004. Philip enjoys both the cultural activities available in Christchurch and the beautiful countryside around Christchurch. He is a regular tramper, skier, cyclist and swimmer. You will always receive your treatment from Philip himself, and never from locum osteopaths, associate osteopaths or junior osteopaths with little or no experience. Philip only works at St Albans Osteopathy and is available to personally answer any questions you have. He has some of the lowest fees in Christchurch, with no larger fee for the first consultation.

Osteopath treatment

For a definition of osteopathy and an explanation of the principals of osteopathy, please see this page: the history and principals of osteopathy.

Osteopaths are highly skilled in diagnosing and giving manual therapy or treatment to the underlying causes of pain in the body. At your first consultation Philip will take your history and examine you. He takes the whole person into account, and you will receive a full assessment, including a biomechanical analysis and any osteopathic, orthopaedic and neurological tests needed. Most back pain, neck pain, limb pain and headaches are due to sprains and dysfunction of the spine, joints and muscles. Osteopaths seeks these out by using both observation and a highly developed sense of touch, which enables them to detect the smallest changes in muscular tension and joint mobility. He may refer you directly for an x-ray or an ultrasound scan if this is needed. The results of these investigations will be discussed with you. The underlying causes of your pain are treated, not just "the painful spot". You will receive a full osteopath treatment at your first consultation unless you have a problem that can't be helped by osteopath treatment, in which case you will be referred to a suitable practitioner. Every osteopath treatment is different and is designed specifically for the needs of the patient at that time.

Philip uses a wide range of techniques, including gentle manipulation, cranial osteopathy (cranio-sacral therapy), and soft tissue techniques such as massage in order to optimise the functioning of the body and enable the innate self-healing ability of the body to do its work. All the osteopath techniques that Philip uses are gentle and are never painful or frightening. Osteopaths may give advice on exercises, posture, diet and home remedies to help you manage pain, speed recovery and to avoid future problems. This caring and holistic approach to treatment can help you and your family achieve the highest possible level of health and well-being at any time of life.

You are welcome to bring your own support person or translator. Sometimes a patient may be asked if they would mind removing an item of clothing to allow visual examination and hands on treatment. Underwear is never removed, and if you would rather not remove any item, please mention it. This is never a problem, and it is always still possible to receive effective osteopath treatment. Shoes are not worn on the treatment table and head pillows are never used for the lower body. If you have any specific needs because of your culture or beliefs, please mention them.

The number of osteopath treatments someone needs depends on the severity of the injury, the age of the person, whether they have arthritis etc. Most people have between one and six osteopath treatments. Philip will not sign you up to a long course of treatments, ask for payment in advance, try to convince you to have more treatments than you actually need, or scare you with the dire effects of not having osteopath treatment. You can discontinue treatment at any time. People sometimes (but not always) feel a bit worse the day after treatment. Usually this is very mild. Very occasionally it lasts two days. This is due to treatment of inflamed tissues, which is sometimes necessary to obtain normal function and speed up the healing process. Most people feel an improvement from their first osteopath consultation, though sometimes it may take longer.

The difference between osteopathy and chiropractic

Chiropractic was started in the US in the 1890's by a layman called D.D. Palmer, who may have been a student of Dr. A.T. Still (the founder of osteopathy). In the US chiropractic has remained an alternative therapy, while osteopathy integrated into the conventional health care system a century ago. Osteopathy went from the US to the UK in 1917, where it developed as a distinctive British health primary care profession and then on to New Zealand. The first full time training in New Zealand started in 1999 (there was a previous part-time training by ISOP). Chiropractic went more recently from the US to Australia and New Zealand, and tends to have more American ethics and practice management. In the nineteenth century osteopaths specialised in 'long-lever' manipulative techniques, and chiropractors in 'short-lever' techniques, but neither profession can claim exclusivity of a technique, and it is now common for osteopaths to use techniques that were once exclusively chiropractic, and for chiropractors to use techniques that were exclusively osteopathic. It is illegal in New Zealand for anyone other than an osteopath, chiropractor, physiotherapists or medical doctor to perform a high velocity manipulative technique to anyone's neck (Philip Bayliss very rarely uses these type of manipulations). In the nineteenth century both professions were quite dogmatic, with osteopaths proclaiming that the rule of the artery reigns supreme and chiropractors that the rule of the nerve reigns supreme. Present day osteopaths recognise that both the nerve supply and circulation are vitally important, though modern chiropractic literature puts the emphasis almost entirely on nerves. Chiropractors put a greater emphasis on alignment than osteopaths (who concentrate more on restoring normal function to all tissues and joints, including the spine). Chiropractors base their diagnosis on X-rays (while osteopaths base their diagnosis on palpation or feeling the body and observation), and chiropractors treat mainly (and often only) by high velocity joint manipulation, while osteopaths usually use a combination of manipulation and a variety of soft tissue techniques. Chiropractors will often see their patients more frequently than osteopaths, with shorter appointments. There are exceptions, if you are not sure, please ask your practitioner.

The difference between osteopathy and physiotherapy

Physiotherapy has had a long association with the medical profession. Until relatively recently physiotherapists worked under the direction of doctors, though today many are independent practitioners. This close historical association is the reason that some GP's favour referring to physiotherapists. Physiotherapists are trained to treat a wider range of conditions than osteopaths (who specialise mainly in pain in the musculoskeletal system), such as rehabilitation following surgery or spinal cord injury, rehabilitation following stroke, rehabilitation for those with congenital anomalies, draining thick secretions or pus out of the chests of those with cystic fibrosis or bronchietasis etc. Consequently their basic training does not go into such depth in diagnosing the underlying causes of musculoskeletal pain as does that of osteopaths. Frequently musculoskeletal pain sufferers visiting a physiotherapist may have no hands-on treatment at all. Soft tissue techniques may be limited to the basic massage moves and many physiotherapists never manipulate. Those that do, may manipulate only the 'painful spot', unlike osteopaths who treat the underlying causes and may avoid the 'painful spot', if it is contraindicated by their differential diagnosis. Instead a physiotherapist may give generic exercises, tape or splint the affected part and/or use ultrasound.

To download a free PDF file comparing the effectiveness of osteopath treatment with other modalities such as physiotherapy, chiropractic and acupuncture, please click on the link below:

You don’t need to have a GP referral to see an osteopath on ACC. An osteopath can help you can make a new ACC claim if you have an injury that is the result of an accident which happened within the last year. ACC contributes to the cost of osteopath treatment of everyone, of any age, both working and not working, for all injuries that result from an accident that occurred at work, at home, playing sports or driving.

The accident must involve an external force or resistance. This can include road traffic accidents, sports injuries, carrying something, lifting, pushing or pulling something, or falling and hitting something or something hitting you. ACC does not cover bending or twisting if no external force or resistance is involved, even if the injury occurred at work. The maximum number of treatments that ACC will contribute to depends on the original diagnosis. ACC does not fully fund osteopath treatment, so a top-up payment is payable by the patient. You must start your osteopath treatment within one year of the accident date, and complete your osteopath treatments within 52 weeks of your first osteopath treatment. In some circumstances it may be possible to make an ACC32 application for up to six additional osteopath treatments (there is a fee payable by the patient for making this application). A consultation is necessary at the time of making an ACC32 application. If you are not currently eligable for an ACC consultation, you will have to have a private one. If the application is approved, it will apply from the date that ACC makes the approval, not the application date. ACC32 applications are frequently declined. If ACC declines your claim, or declines to pay for treatment on an existing claim, you will then be liable to pay the difference between the ACC top-up payment and the private fee of any osteopath treatments that you have had. If you are making a new ACC claim, you may wish to wait until you have heard from ACC before you have further osteopath treatment.

If your injury is work related, please let your osteopath know whether your employer is an 'accredited employer' in the ACC Partnership Programme (these are all large companies). This means that they take responsibility for their employees' work injury claims. If you don't know, please ask your employer. If they are, you will need to provide your osteopath with contact details for both treatment approvals and invoicing. Accredited employers (or their insurance companies) usually allow fewer osteopath treatments than ACC does, for similar injuries. It is an OSH requirement that if you have an injury at work, that you should complete an incident report at your work place.