International Osteopathic Healthcare Week 2022: Tamworth osteopath Donald Hunter encourages locals to get moving for pain relief

Tamworth's only osteopath Donald Hunter is urging residents to start exercising to avoid joint, bone and muscle pain.

Mr Hunter said, with Tamworth boasting an older population, his message was particularly relevant for creating healthy regional communities.

"The medical profession is probably going to keep you alive well in to your 80s, but if you want your 70s to be good you've got to be pretty fit and healthy by the time you're in your mid 60s," he said.

"If everyone exercised, the hospital would be half full."

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But moving will look different for everyone. It could be walking, biking or swimming, Mr Hunter said.

"It actually improves the joints, mild to moderate exercise is better for the joint, even if it's arthritic," he said.

"Not moving is the worst thing you can do."

Mr Hunter has been travelling from Newcastle to Tamworth for the past three years to see patients, but when the pandemic hit he moved here full time.

While there's osteopaths available in Armidale and Singleton, patients have travelled up to four hours to see Mr Hunter.

"The problem with osteopathy is that because it's not as well known, once you get out of the capital cities, a lot of people don't really know what an osteopath is," he said.

The University of Western Sydney graduate said osteopathy is guided by a holistic approach towards pain relief and management, by looking at the body as a whole, regardless of where the tension or aches are being felt.

"If somebody came in with neck pain, I'll be checking their hips and knees," he said.

Despite recently moving from Newcastle, Mr Hunter is passionate about attracting more osteopaths to the regions and is currently applying to be on the Board of Osteopathy to discuss strategies.

"It could be encouraging more people already from the regions to become osteopaths because maybe then they're more likely to go back to the regions," Mr Hunter said

"Or just putting incentives there like having mentors for new graduates or people they can ring up or contact, it's not an easy profession to start off with.

"Once people know what osteopathy is, you could have five or six of them here easily."

Mr Hunter's message to get moving comes as medical professionals around the world celebrate 'International Osteopathic Healthcare Week' - seven days dedicated to raising awareness for the importance of movement.

"Exercise is just so ridiculously important," he said.

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