Joseph Manuel Ponce Osteopath

Working With The Whole Body

Manuel's Approach To Osteopathy

While embracing the principles of osteopathic medicine, Manuel has a preference for the cranial approach, a treatment modality known for its gentleness, safety and also its effectiveness

Osteopathy, works on the premise that the body has an innate capacity to maintain health. When internal or external factors inhibit this process, the osteopath's job is to simply identify and free the body from such influences, allowing you to return naturally back to balance

By encouraging listening and following the tissues' own direction towards optimal function, cranial osteopathy is a natural, non-invasive method for finding and dispersing strain. Listening to the body makes for a richer, deeper appreciation of the factors underlying your symptoms. While following the tissues' lead respects the wisdom of the body, allowing for a fuller response from less intervention

What To Expect From Your Session

If you've never experienced a cranial osteopathic treatment, you may be wondering what to expect? Bearing in mind individual responses vary greatly, here's a general outline of what you might typically expect during a session:

1- History: To understand the nature and natural history of your complaint Manuel will start with a full case history, including your presenting symptoms and general medical history, current and past

2 - Hands-On Examination: Manuel will evaluate your structure, observing your posture and movements, and using touch to appreciate muscle texture in order to get a diagnosis and formulate your treatment plan

3 - Osteopathic Treatment: Cranial osteopathic treatment is extremely gentle, generally using light touch to listen to and free the tissues from tension and strain

Cranial osteopaths connect with a subtle motion expressed by all the tissues which, though invisible to the eye, can be appreciated by the trained hand. Interventions are so subliminal it may appear the practitioner is doing nothing! 

4 - Treatment Responses: The immediate response to cranial treatment is very individual. You may feel nothing at the time, needing to rely the outcome of the treatment. However, it is quite common for you to feel sensations at or distant to the site of intervention, including warmth, tingling or, less often, discomfort. If you are concerned about what you are feeling it's important to share this with Manuel so he can adapt his treatment, or reassure you that this is a normal response

5 - Communication And Consent: It's essential to the healing process that you feel safe and confident in your practitioner's care: whether working cranially or proposing more treatment methods, Manuel will ensure that you understand the nature and purpose of any procedure and give your consent before proceeding

Each session is tailored to your individual needs, and the number of sessions required will depend on factors including the nature, severity and time-frame of your symptoms

Osteopathy Benefits

Working with your structure, osteopaths can help with a multitude of musculoskeletal dysfunctions and pain syndromes. However, as a holistic system for supporting health, osteopathic treatment benefits all your body systems, from cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive health to mental wellbeing, offering you not just freedom from pain, but a positive sense of health and vitality

The benefits of osteopathic treatment in the various areas of adult and infant health have been outlined separately. You can also find information on the benefits of cranial osteopathy for adults from my blog post of the same name. Click the button below for more info

Manuel's Bio

Manuel first discovered body-work one Saturday back in 1978 when the fancy took him to swap a Saturday night disco fever for a yoga class. So thrilling was the experience that by 1980 he was a qualified yoga teacher and resident at the London Sivananda Yoga Ashram where it had all begun

Discovering the awesome power of the mind-body link, he studied osteopathy at the now University College Of Osteopathy in London, qualifying in 1989

Since graduating Manuel has practiced osteopathy full time in the London areas of Clapham and Walthamstow, and has taught extensively as guest lecturer and trainer in numerous osteopathic and yoga bodies

In addition to hands-on osteopathy, Manuel offers live online yoga classes one-to-one and in small groups

Qualifications

• Yoga Instructor - Sivananda 1980
• DO in Ostepathy - University College of Osteopathy 1985-89
• Cranial Osteopathy -  Sutherland Teaching Foundation / Sutherland Cranial College 1991-98
• Yoga Teacher / Trainer - Sunra 2000
• Adult Learning Facilitator - City&Guilds 2006-7
• M-Level Medical Acupuncture - Herts Uni 2014
• Yoga Nidra Yoga Leela 2020, 2022
• Distance Craniosacral Integration College Of Cranio Sacral Therapy 2021

General Osteopathic Council

Manuel is registered as a full member of the General Osteopathic Council. The Council regulate the profession and set the osteopathic education and practice standards

Osteopathy in the UK enjoys statutory regulation and only members of the General Osteopathic Council are able to use the title "registered osteopath". Manuel is listed in the register as

Joseph Manuel Ponce
GOsC Ref 1038