Amber LarisChiropractor and Osteopath

www.amberlaris.com.au

Osteopathic Training and Certification in Australia

INFORMATION SHEET

For people who may be considering undertaking a course of osteopathic treatment, it is useful to have an

understanding of the training and certifica-tion an osteopath in Australia undergoes before they are qualified and registered to be able to treat patients.

Osteopaths in Australia are classified as primary healthcare professionals. What this means is that an osteopath is quali-fied to diagnose and treat patients without the need for a prior referral from a general practitioner. In practical terms, this also means that private health insurance poli-cies will pay ‘extras’ benefits for a member to undergo treatment in a registered osteo-pathic clinic.

An osteopath in Australia is required to undergo a minimum of five years’ train-ing, which consists either of a Bachelor degree followed by a Masters degree, or alternatively some training institutions offer Double Bachelor degrees. This may be fol-lowed by further research and the comple-tion of a Doctorate in osteopathy. There

are currently three universities in Australia that offer training in osteopathy: Southern Cross University; Royal Melbourne Insti-tute of Technology; and Victoria University.As part of their training, an osteopath in Australia will undertake studies in a wide variety of disciplines. This includes training in medical diagnosis, anatomy and physiol-ogy, as well as osteopathic techniques. In addition, an osteopath is trained to under-

take medical examinations of the nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular and musculo-skeletal systems. A further integral part of the training is that osteopaths are also required to undertake supervised, practical treatment of patients to complement their theoretical learning.

“Osteopaths in Australia undergo an extensive and

rigorous training and certification process.”

Amber Laris has been treating patients in the heart of the Adelaide

CBD for over 30 years. She is a member of both the COCA – Chiropractic and Osteopathic

Association of Australia and the CAA – Chiropractic Association of

Australia. Level 2

33 Pirie Street, Adelaide SA, 5000Telephone: (08) 8221 6100

www.amberlaris.com.au

The wide range of training an osteopath undergoes is why osteopathy is highly effec-tive both at treating specific injuries, com-plaints and conditions, as well as address-ing the body’s natural sense of balance and well-being to treat common problems such as headaches, fatigue and stress.

All osteopaths in Australia are registered with the Osteopathy Board of Australia (in association with the Australian Health

Practitioner Regulation Agency) and a registered osteopath is able to practice in all Australian states and territories. Osteopaths are also required to undertake programmes of continuing professional development in order to ensure that the osteopathic healthcare services they provide are delivered to the highest possible stand-ard.

The extensive and thorough training that osteopaths undertake, combined with the profession’s emphasis on professional devel-opment, means that you can feel secure in the fact that your osteopath has the skills and knowledge to be able to develop and undertake effective safe treatment pro-grammes, has well-developed communica-tion skills when working with patients, and has a high level of clinical proficiency and the ability to manage effectively all aspects of your osteopathic treatment.

“Osteopaths are recognised as primary healthcare professionals and are

required to continue their professional development throughout their careers.”

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