“An osteopath is only a human engineer, who should understand all the laws governing his engine and thereby master disease.”

Dr Andrew Taylor Still

Bhart Shemar graduated from the prestigious British College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2004. During his five year degree, he received numerous annual awards and he was also presented with the ‘Student of the year prize’ in his final year.  Bhart subsequently returned to his alma mater, working as a lecturer and clinical tutor, training and examining students in clinical skills and physical diagnosis. He was also a clinic tutor over seeing third year clinical students.

During that time he also qualified as a Naturopath and uses this knowledge alongside Osteopathy to meet his patients' needs.  He is passionate about Osteopathy and is an attentive and caring practitioner.  As an Osteopath, he seeks to find the root cause of his patient’s problem and avoids treating their symptoms in isolation. With a results driven approach, Bhart tailors his Osteopathic treatment to achieve the best results for his patients, personalising his treatment plan to suit his patients needs and their individual lifestyle.  Patient education and preventative medicine are at the heart of his approach and he encourages positive lifestyle changes for his patients wherever possible.  He empowers his patient by giving them a clear understanding of what has gone wrong to cause their complaint.  This unique educational approach helps patients to understand how best to address the problem and minimise the risk of recurrence in the future.

Prior to his training as an Osteopath, Bhart worked as an Accident and Emergency nurse for many years, gaining extensive experience across numerous specialties ranging from paediatrics, cardiology to emergency trauma.  In total Bhart has over two decades of clinical experience.  As a Senior Staff Nurse, he also mentored and assessed nursing students and newly qualified Staff Nurses within his Accident and Emergency departments.  This experience taught him how resilient the human body can be, as well as what can go wrong when it is not correctly cared for.

Patient safety is of paramount importance and the therefore maintains his continuing professional development, keeping his clinical skills and knowledge up to date.  Alongside his Osteopathic skills, Bhart is also trained in Medical Acupuncture and Sports/Kinesio taping.  Working as an Osteopath, by combining this knowledge, techniques, along with Osteopathy, Naturopathy and clinical skills, he aims to achieve the most effective results for his patients. 

“The science of osteopathy is founded upon a knowledge of the fact that man is a compound of body, mind, and spirit.”

Dr Andrew Taylor Still

Osteopathy was pioneered in the late 1800s by Dr Andrew Taylor Still, a Physician and Surgeon and it is a holistic system of treatment, complementary to other medical practices.  Osteopathy is suitable for almost anyone and can contribute to the treatment and management of a wide range of conditions ranging from back and joint pain to sports injuries.

To an Osteopath, for a body to work well its structure must also work well.  A core principle behind osteopathy is the idea that the body is an integrated and indivisible whole.  No part of the body works, or can be considered, in isolation.  There is a direct relationship between the way our body functions and its structure.  Other factors, which may contribute to the complaint are also taken into account such as occupation, lifestyle, stress, nutrition and exercise.

“Health can only be restored by removing the causes of disease.”

Dr Andrew Taylor Still

The title 'Osteopath' is protected by law and just as with Doctors, Dentists and Nurses, Osteopaths have a regulatory body to set and promote high standards of competency, conduct and safety.  Osteopaths are regulated by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC).  It is against the law to call yourself an Osteopath unless you are fully qualified and registered with GOsC.

Bhart is registered with the GOsC and studied for five years full time which included a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised clinical practice.  Bhart is also a professional member of The Institute of Osteopathy and The British Medical Acupuncture Society.

GOsC requires all Osteopaths to re-register annually.  As part of this process, they must continue to update and expand their clinical knowledge by completing a minimum of 30 hours study per year.  GOsC also checks that Osteopaths have current professional indemnity insurance, remain in good health and are of good character.

“The structure and function of the body are interrelated.”

Dr Andrew Taylor Still

During your initial Consultation, Bhart will take a comprehensive and detailed medical history to ascertain the root cause of your complaint.  This will be followed by a clinical and Osteopathic examination to assess the movements of the spine, joints of concern along with assessing the patterns of muscular tightness, weakness or imbalance.

After this examination, Bhart will discuss his clinical impression and the most appropriate Osteopathic treatment for you.  Every Osteopath works slightly differently and although the end goal may be the same, each Osteopath may take a different treatment approach to achieve similar results.  Bhart uses a combination of massage/muscle work, joint and spinal mobilisations and if safe to do so, Osteopathic spinal manipulations.  Medical acupuncture to release muscular trigger points, myofascial tightness and to alleviate pain.  Exercise prescription and lifestyle advice also are provided.  Bhart also holds a Diploma in Spinal Acupuncture allowing him to use advanced acupuncture skills along the muscles of the neck and spine to facilitate a release of the deeper spinal muscles.

Follow up appointments will consist of a review of  the progress of your clinical symptoms, response to treatment, adherence to my clinical advice along with discussing any other clinical concerns. If you require any referrals to specialists, Bhart will discuss this at your initial appointment.