In the last few months, I have interviewed people from Dubai and abroad – some who inspire us through their passion and focus, and others, through their ability to heal and touch the community through what they do.
This month’s interview is with Dr. Emmanuel Hartmann, a Licensed Osteopath practicing in Dubai Healthcare City.
As per Dubai Healthcare Authority, Osteopathy falls under the traditional Complementary & Alternative Medicine (TCAM) and they require a license from the DHA to practice here.
Dr. Emmanuel runs his Clinic – “The Physical Health and Healing Center” at Dubai Health Care City. The clinic is centered on Complementary Medicine and is family and patient oriented, with an Osteopath, Chiropractor, Chinese Traditional Doctor, Doula and Physiotherapist in the team. Their 2 major areas of work are back pain and peri-natality (i.e.accompanying Mothers before, during and after pregnancy/delivery and supporting the entire family through the process.Their goal is always preventative care through the entire pregnancy and post pregnancy period)
In Dubai, Osteopathy started in 1986. But there is still a lot of scope and possibility for development according to Dr. Hartmann. As of now there is no awareness about Osteopathy in maternity hospitals in UAE; not much is done in Child Osteopathy, Soft Osteopathy, etc. Now there is a movement in UAE towards establishing osteopathy like in Europe and elsewhere in the world.
Please find below an excerpt from my interview with Dr Emmanuel.
Question: Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I am from France and I am a practicing Osteopath for 19 years. I worked in France, Arcachon near Bordeaux, for 17 years before I came to Dubai. I also have a University Diploma in Anatomy, applied to the Clinical Examination and the Medical Imaging from the University of Paris 5. I am very passionate about my job.
I worked in France with special needs children, and directly with infants and mothers for 10 years. In addition, I worked very closely with extreme sportsmen, National or World champions in various sports.
Ques: What exactly is osteopathy? Why and How is it beneficial?
Osteopathy is a drug free manual and non-invasive therapy, which takes a holistic view of the body, and works by manipulation and strengthening of the musculo-skeletal framework. It aims at restoring lost mobility and preventing such ‘loss of movement’ and associated symptoms, such as pain and metabolites disturbances. The technique used vary, based on the symptoms. Personally, I work gently with a soft touch and my procedures are not painful.
The fields of application of osteopathy are multiple, because they affect all areas of the body and it complements the allopathic medicine. Often, my patients have tried all possible treatments out there and come to see me when they don’t find a solution in other medical fields.
Prevention in osteopathy remains the best approach, and maintaining good health and stay in top form remains our goal.The body and the mind know how to manage a lot of things and it is often enough to maintain them well to stay healthy.
Ques: Have you personally benefited from Osteopathic treatment in your child hood? What drew your attention towards Osteopathy?
I learnt about Osteopathy by chance (if it exists), a choice of study which fascinated me, the more I learnt more about it. It helped me resolve my asthma and wrist pain that had been present for more than 10 years.
My family and I regularly do osteopathic sessions to maintain health and prevent ailments. These sessions help us maintain balance, and ensures that we remain well rounded.
Ques: Who can benefit from osteopathic treatment?
Starting from year 1 to 99 years old, each age has a specific functional issue and Osteopathy can prevent or solve a large part of classical pathologies in 2 or 3 Sessions.
Below are a List of Indications that Osteopathy can help with:
- Sprains, tendonitis,
- Vertebral, cervical, Dorsal, Lumbar or Coccygeal pain.
- Low back pain (lumbago, sciatica)
- Joint pain, Osteoarthritis, Scoliosis, Shoulder arthritis, Pubalgia
- Sports injuries, Car accidents.
- Some disturbances of the dental articulate.
- Neuralgia: cervical brachialis, intercostals, facial, Arnold, causalgias, sciatica
- Headache, migraines, vertigo, tinnitus
- Circulatory disorders of the lower limbs, venous congestion, hemorrhoids, palpitations
- Irregular or painful rules, pain during intercourse, prostatitis, certain incontinence
- Help with fertility problems.
- Pregnancy: pregnancy monitoring, childbirth preparation, newborn treatment, postpartum treatment.
- Depressive states, hypernervosity, anxiety, fatigue, irritability.
- Sleep disorders, spasmophilia.
- Rhinitis, sinusitis, bronchitis and chronic bronchiolitis, asthma
- Fractures, falls, car accidents, surgery
- Bleeding, hiatal hernia, gastric acidity, flatulence, hepatobiliary disorders, colitis,constipation, gastritis, difficult digestion, nausea, chronic diarrhea
What would be a typical osteopathic treatment?
Each problem usually needs only 1-2 session of 1 hour each. If the ailment is chronic, then we might ask to see the patient 3-4 times. Between each session, we give a break of 2-3 weeks to ensure that body gets time to adapt and heal itself.
In each session, we have a discussion/ interrogation with the patient to understand the problem. From their answers, we try to find the origin of the pain. We also try to understand the medical background of the patient – these are done through testing or manual manipulations. These manipulations can be done fully clothed and is different from massage techniques. Once this is done, we do the treatment which involves certain manipulation of the soft tissues and the joints.
Exercises are also given during this session, and sometimes, the patients might get an exercise to do at home as well.
Ques: You mentioned sports injuries? What are some of the common injuries that you see in Active sports people?
Tendonitis, repetitive injuries, accident and chronic pains. In my career, I had the chance to help the preparation of several International/National athletes and athletes of the extreme sports. The role of an osteopath is not only to manage the pain of everyday life, but also to allow the athlete to recover quickly and improve his performance by better coordination of muscle chains.
For example, my sessions with a mountain climber helped her with better quality of movement, as a preparation before the climb of Mount Everest.
I worked as an osteopath for a Rugby team – we were able to reduce the ankle strain from 16 to 1 by educating the players and restoring their mobility.
Ques: What are some of the common ailments that you see and work with?
It’s difficult to pick the most common ailment, but if I had to choose, I would say headaches, shoulder/neck pain and lower back problems, whether they are caused by sciatica or just posture. So many people work behind desks or drive a fair amount in the day, postures that leads to a great deal of aches and pains. Osteopathy can assist here
Ques: Do you think Yoga practitioners can benefit from osteopathic treatments? Can you explain
Osteopathic medicine and Yoga focus on the mind, body and spirit and share the belief that structure and function are very much related. Like yoga, osteopathic medicine promotes the body’s natural tendency towards health and self-healing. It can help improve balance, strengthen muscles, prevent injuries and calm the mind.
Ques: Can you suggest some safety practices for people who practice yoga.? Things they should be careful with, not to cause any harm or damage?
Yoga is a practice that aims to raise the body and the mind and some of techniques / posture require a good physical condition and a regular and progressive approach.
To avoid injuries on the mat, I advise yogis to listen carefully to their bodies:
- Don’t ignore the pain or feelings of fear during the session/practice.
- Allow your body limits. Don’t “push it” to keep up with your neighbor yogi.
- Give your body time to adapt, whether trying a new pose or starting yoga practice for the first time.
- Check with your instructor if a pose doesn’t feel right.
- Modify your practice for any physical limitations.
- Rest in Child’s Pose if you need a break.
- After trying to solve an issue by yourself. And with the help of your Yoga teacher, and if you did not improve, just contact your Osteopath 🙂
Ques: Can you give us some information about your clinic and what treatments are given there?
Our clinic is patient centered – we aim to give them care and educate them about the treatment and help them prevent the aggravation of existing problems. We are turning to Complementary Medicine, Osteopathy Chiropractic, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Physiotherapy, Doula to help support our patients in a better way.
We have 3 fields of expertise: before during and after pregnancy (accompaniment of mom, baby and dad).
- We are lucky to have Dr. Yang Yang, a specialist in infertility in traditional Chinese Medicine,
- Dr. Sabry, Chiropractor, a specialist in sports and back pathologies,
- Mrs. Paula, Physiotherapist, for the pelvic rehabilitation,
- Mrs. Ana, Doula who teaches hypnobirthing to parents – to limit the use of epidural during childbirth, and ensure the return to activity of the mothers after the birth. A birth Doula can also accompany the Mother and the dad during the birth.
- As an Osteopath, I am specialized in infants and Mothers with the management of sucking disorders, plagiocephalies and rhythm disorders
Thank you Dr. Hartmann, for shedding light on Osteopathy. The answers are very insightful.There is a lot of interest in alternate medicine at the moment and I hope this article will help many who are looking for alternative methods of healing and preventative care.
You can reach out to Dr. Hartmann through contact details on the website: www.phhc-dhcc.com or their Facebook page.
Interviewed & Written by:
Hema Laxman,
Owner, Flamingo Yoga & Wellness | Yoga e-boutique
Pictures provided & published with permission from: Dr. Emmanuel Hartmann, PHHC
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