Craniosacral therapy
Gentle work on the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Often dramatic for chronic headaches and post-MVA recovery.
Manual Osteopathy in Toronto
Whole-body osteopathic manual therapy: craniosacral, visceral, joint mobilization, and structural techniques. Two practitioners on the team with formal osteopathic training.
Since 2009Hospital-Affiliated Spine CareWomen's HealthRunning & SportsWSIB & MVA ClaimsLGBTQ+ FriendlyDirect Billing to Insurance
What it is
Bodywork that reads the whole system.
Osteopathic manual therapy treats the body as an interconnected unit, a tight shoulder might be coming from a diaphragm restriction, a recurring low back ache might trace back to old visceral patterns. Osteopaths are trained to assess and treat at multiple layers: musculoskeletal, fascial, visceral, and craniosacral.
At Back In Balance, osteopathic techniques are delivered through massage therapy sessions by Michael O'Brien (3 years of the 5-year Canadian College of Osteopathy program) and Yulexi Sebasco Ferrera (full Canadian Academy of Osteopathy program, OMP).
- Two practitioners with formal osteopathic training
- Pairs with massage therapy in a single session, billed as massage with osteopathic technique
- Particularly useful when standard care has plateaued or pain involves multiple body regions
Techniques
What osteopathic care actually looks like.
Joint mobilization
Slow, sustained mobilization of restricted joints, often gentler than chiropractic adjustment but with similar functional gains.
Visceral & fascial
Releasing restrictions in the connective tissue around organs and through the deep fascia. Often the missing piece for chronic restrictions that don't respond to muscle work alone.
Who it helps
Best fit when standard care has plateaued.
Osteopathic care is often the right choice when chronic issues have stopped responding to chiropractic or massage alone, when something deeper is at play. It's also a powerful tool for post-MVA recovery, post-surgical adhesions, and the kind of multi-region pain that's hard to pin down to one structure.
Sessions are 60 minutes typically, billed as massage therapy. We'll discuss whether your case fits an osteopathic approach during the first visit.
2
Osteopathically trained
60 min
Standard session
Whole-body
Assessment lens
Direct bill
Under massage therapy
Frequently asked questions
About manual osteopathy
Massage focuses on soft tissue. Osteopathy treats the body as an interconnected unit and includes joint, visceral, and craniosacral work in addition to soft tissue. At Back In Balance, both are delivered by RMTs with osteopathic training in a single session.
About the clinic
Reviews
What patients say
A few words from people we've helped get back to what they love.
“Steps from College station and they direct-bill my insurance, so it's an easy visit. Real assessment, no pressure, and a plan I could actually follow at home.”
“I saw Dr. Clarke through my pregnancy for pelvic pain. Gentle, knowledgeable, and reassuring the whole way. It made a real difference to how I felt day to day.”
“Booked for a running gait analysis before a half marathon. The video breakdown of my stride was eye-opening and the exercises sorted out the knee pain that kept derailing my training.”
From the blog
Latest from the blog
Patient-language guides on the conditions and care we see most.
Book your first visit
Tell us what you need from manual osteopathy and the front desk will match you with the right practitioner.
- Same-day appointments usually available
- Direct billing to most major insurers
- Prefer to call? (416) 660-9932