Laura is an osteopath and holds a Bachelor of Social Services and Health Care (Metropolia UAS, Finland) and a PG Diploma in Animal Osteopathy (Canine & Equine) from the ESO.

I have been an animal loving person since I was a child and also have strong background as a equestrian professional both grooming and riding in Finland and abroad. It was very clear to me that  some day I would specialise in Animal Osteopathy and this became more clear, as I started studying to be an osteopath. I highly recommend the courses of Animal Osteopathy International. They appreciates high quality learning experience and support the dreams of those who want a future career as an animal osteopath.

What have you enjoyed the most about life as an animal osteopath?
The connection with an animal is something very unique (when undertaking an osteopathic treatment for them). The work with animals is also very intuitive, as you need to be fine-tuned to their level of communication. It is also very rewarding to see the difference in the animals’ and their owners’ lives when you succeed to help them.

Where do you currently practice and what is your area of interest? 
Currently, I’m enjoying life as a new mother of two lovely twin girls based. I live in the Tampere region in Finland. I work mainly both with companion animals and those who train and compete. Usually, I do home and yard visits for both canine and equine patients. I have also worked with many paraprofessionals such as animal trainers, professional riders and physiotherapists who have organised treatment days in their offices or yards. Often, I recommend the rider also be treated because their issues can have a great impact on their horse. In the past, I have also treated some cows and cats and I’m very happy to help any kind of animal within my scope of practice. I’m so very happy to also be a part of AOI teaching team. Teaching animal osteopathy is a dream come true for me.

What does a typical animal day in practice look like for you?
The days in practice vary a lot, sometimes I travel to a yard and have a full day of equine patients and other days I treat the owner and their family members and their horses or dogs. Most of my clients are currently animals because we have significant demand on animal osteopaths in my country. Working with both human and animal practice also requires refreshing the basic knowledge regularly by myself or with colleagues.

What would your advice be for students of animal osteopathy?
Try to get your basic knowledge as strong as possible as there will be a lot to learn. Animals are very sensitive to our body language and emotional state, so I highly recommend you make an effort to get yourself as grounded as possible. This will have a huge impact on your treatment results. Spending some time in nature everyday and practising meditation are my personal tips. Working with animals will teach you a lot about yourself too. Have an open mind and be humble.

What was the most noticeable benefit as a cross-skill to human practice?
The importance of screening and listening of the body language. Obviously this is very important to every osteopath but in my opinion working with animals fine tunes this skill even more. Also the impact of the environment is very noticeable in animals since correcting their nutrition, exercise or daily habits can have a noticeable difference on their quality of life in long term. This notice has made me to encourage my human patients to pay attention to lifestyle changes even more to improve treatment outcomes.

Contact details:

Laura Marttila
Pro Osteo
Facebook: Pro Osteo – Terveyden hyväksi
Tel. +35850 5219445