You shouldn't have to live with pain.
Otley Osteopaths was established to help treat individuals with new or on-going pain. Our belief is that you should not have to live with pain when there are ways to identify the root causes of that pain and to help the body heal itself. We provide treatment for musculoskeletal problems without the need for scans or lengthy waiting times for medical appointments. If there are any concerning issues, we will always recommend referral to your GP as required.
Most people only need a few treatments to ease their symptoms, and often report feeling better after the first treatment. Long-term problems sometimes require longer courses of treatments and exercises. In these circumstances we can help you schedule the exercises into your lifestyle and we build a plan with you, working with you to achieve your health-goals.
Sometimes poor physical health can make getting out of the house tough, so we can sometimes find time to provide the option for home-visits, for those unable to get to our clinic. This is however subject to availability and we cannot guarantee this option.
Our Team
Professional Practitioners
All our practitioners are fully registered and insured with the General Osteopathy Council after completing their Master's degrees. They are all also members of the Institute of Osteopathy.
Ole Gulliksen - Principal Osteopath
Ole, originally from Norway, has been living in Yorkshire since 2008 and studied Sports Science and Deep Tissue Massage then Osteopathy at university in Leeds.
Ole holds additional qualifications in Sports & Deep Tissue Massage, Shockwave Therapy, RockTape Therapy. He also practises Cranial Osteopathy (often used for treating migraines and babies) as he has a specialist interest in management of chronic headaches.
He founded Otley Osteopaths in 2014 as he believes people should not have to live with pain and believes osteopathy can help treat many common complaints. As a keen sportsman himself, he also appreciates the negative impact of aches and pains in sport, so works with sporting enthusiasts to treat their minor injuries.
Mariska Wilkins - Osteopath
Mariska graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a Masters in Osteopathy degree (MOst) in 2014. She enjoys treating a variety of patients, but has a particular interest in treating the elderly, as well as expectant and post-partum mothers.
Mariska has always had a passion for helping others, and worked as a care worker for a number of years before becoming an osteopath. She enjoys adapting and tailoring her osteopathic treatment to a patients’ specific needs. There is nothing more satisfying to her than seeing a transformation in patients who have previously been in pain, and can now carry on with their normal lives.
Mariska has completed further training in myofascial taping, Shockwave Therapy, Neil Asher frozen shoulder technique and obstetric care.
Josh Kelsall - Osteopath
We are excited to have our fellow leeds graduate, Josh with us since his return from working in Australia. He’s decided to stick around these parts of the world for a little longer, and will keep helping us look after our locals for another while.
Josh has through his own experience with sporting injuries seen the value in injury recovery and rehabilitation.
Josh is particularly interested in breathing mechanics, especially in regard to those suffering with asthma and how osteopathy can help this. Being an active person himself, he gets great joy in helping people enjoy the activities they love.
He particularly finds it rewarding using his excellently accurate hands to release spinal joints as well as using dry needling to help stubborn and acutely painful problems.
Matthew Stentiford - Osteopath
Matt is a born and bred yorkshire man who has been working with us since he qualified alongside ole and Mariska in 2014 from Leeds metropolitan university. Matt always has a plan of how he in partnership with the patient will get them back to enjoying life again.
Matt takes a particular interest in sports injuries and how people can improve their gym routines and maintain good health through all the physical challenges sports bring with it.
Matt has further training in Shockwave Therapy, dry needling and RockTape. He loves being able to keep people going by relieving them from pain in their everyday life.
Nia May - Osteopath
Nia joined our clinic last year, and has been such a valuable addition to the team ever since. Her attention to details and commitment to helping people with exercises to help themselves at home is key to her work. Nia works with the patient in the centre of her plan and care for improvement of symptoms and function.
As well as having a range of excellent hands-on techniques to her repertoire as an osteopaths, Nia has further training in visceral and cranial osteopathy and TMJ (jaw) specific techniques for those who struggle with these very subtle problems.
Nia also takes a particular interest in helping women during and around their pregnancies to fully recover and function optimally. Naturally incorporated in this is her knowledge and qualifications as a Pilates instructor (including pregnancy specific Pilates).
Brit Watson - Osteopath
Brit is the most recent osteopath to join our team and we are so excited to work with her. Ole worked with brit years ago in leeds and she has been a friend of the clinic ever since. Brit is a local Wharfedale girl and has over ten years of experience with treating patients for injuries and pain. First as a massage therapist before qualifying as an osteopath in 2019.
Brit’s passion for sports and activities has lead her to treating some of the best athletes around, as well as being one herself. She has been on the podium in her age group in both World and European Triathlon Championships nine times! Her passion for improving performance has helped many athletes to achieve their goals. She has among other things treated the England, New Zealand and Australia Rugby teams, as well as international standard triathletes and national level cyclists.
Brit has an ability to pick out patients imbalances and tensions quickly on assessment and uses a whole-body approach to find the root of the problem with hands on treatment. She loves animals (in particular dogs and horses) and is due to qualifed with a PGCert in animal osteopathy in June 2024.
Gemma Smith - Soft Tissue Therapist
Gemma is a local Otley girl who lives in the town and loves helping the people in it. Having years of experience of helping people with their health and wellbeing through personal training and coaching, she saw the value in osteopathy and how it can help people even more. She is now in her fourth and final year of osteopathy studies and works in the capacity of a very well informed massage therapist.
Gemma has been a part of the Otley Osteopaths family for several years since receiving treatment for a very severe back problem herself. She’s got a diploma in soft tissue maniplation, qualifications in personal training and a now years of extra training in ostoepathic techniques which falls within her scope of practice as a soft tissue therapist. Gemma is passionate about people’s freedom to control their own health, without pain and lack of knowledge about exercises stopping them.
Our Clinic
Active in Otley
Since 2014, we've been helping people across West Yorkshire, from all walks of life with many, varied injuries, aches and pains that are now enjoying a healthy lifestyle that is no longer controlled by pain. Though we may not all be locals (Ole Gulliksen isn't a 'traditional' Yorkshire name...) we've grown to love everything about Otley and really enjoy helping its community live a full and active life.
Our clinic is based in the centre of Otley, West Yorkshire, on New Market, a minute’s walk from the bus station and near sainsbury’s where there is free parking.
Otley is bursting with beautiful countryside walks, sports events and activity-based groups to join, often featuring in the route for the Tour de Yorkshire. It’s no wonder, then, that we are based in Otley, to help its community keep on top of a healthy lifestyle.
With so much to do, it’s easy to allow the general 'wear-and-tear’ of sports, exercise and life in general to build up until we hit a wall, niggling pains become unbearable and active life grinds to a halt. Situated in the heart of Otley, our clinic is easy to find and quick to book.
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