Osteopathy

Osteopathy

What is Osteopathy and How May It Benefit Me?

Osteopathy comes from the Greek root, osteon, meaning bone, and is related to the health and well-being of the musculoskeletal system and all of the structures related to this. Although many people believe Osteopathy has primarily to do with bones, it is actually far more encompassing in character and includes the understanding and treatment of the bones, their alignment, in their function and mobility as well as in the health and function of the muscles, fascia tissues and organs when being treated with the visceral aspect of an osteopathic manual therapy visit.


Craniosacral Therapy was introduced later to Osteopathy and addresses the proper function and articulation of the cranium bones and the health and flow of the cerebrospinal fluid, an integral part of the whole system and of your whole health. This is the main reason I felt so drawn to study Osteopathy; osteopathic therapy is multifaceted, holistic in approach and comprehensive in its capacity to be of service to the individual and, to the community, to being healthy and upright, (a Chinese term for alive with energy ) and mobile. I wish to be of support to this community and to be of service to an aging society in a world, in dire need of healing.

Twelve Benefits to Receiving a Treatment of Osteopathy

A treatment may alleviate a number of conditions, since it

  • Increases joint mobility and range of motion
  • Decreases pressure on the dorsal nerve roots
  • Reduces chronic pain
  • Improves nerve transmission, and reduces neuro-toxicity of the brain
  • Increases blood and circulation of the body and the fluctuation of the cerebrospinal fluid
  • Improves organ function
  • Increases important endorphin levels like serotonin and dopamine that contribute to feelings of happiness and purpose
  • Activates spine reflexes and motor neuron activity
  • Inhibits somatic reflexes
  • Reduces blood pressure
  • Increases parasympathetic response to stress
  • Reduces debilitating mental states such as anxiety and depression

What is Cranio Osteopathy?

Craniosacral Osteopathy is a gentle, hands-on body therapy that nourishes and supports the endocrine and immune systems, increases blood flow and supply to the brain, and deeply replenishes the nervous system. A powerful, non-invasive mind-body therapy, it works particularly well for those suffering from anxiety, headaches, sleep disorders, or depression and or concussions TMJ pain and MSK pain of the jaw.


Cranio sacral theory and practice is based on the understanding of the continuous and subtle movements of the cranial bones, and the cerebral spinal pulse that is felt throughout the body. This pulse results in a rhythm of approximately six to twelve cycles per minute, not unlike waves rolling to the shore. This rhythm is understood as a response to cerebra-spinal fluid fluctuations within the spinal cord and of the brain. The subtle movement extends outward to the entire body, in response to this fluid pressure and to the changes of the central nervous system.

Applications For Craniosacral Osteopathy

A treatment may alleviate a number of conditions, since it:


• Helps restore normal cranial mobility;

• Releases abnormal myofascial restrictions and tensions in the body;

• Releases abnormal restrictions in the head

• Eases restrictions of nerves

• Optimizes cerebra spinal fluid movement through the central nervous system

• Helps restore misaligned bones to their proper positions (including the head, back, neck, hips, shoulders, arms, hands, knees and feet)

Craniosacral Osteopathy is beneficial for all ages, from infants to the elderly, since it addresses the following:


• Recurrent ear infections

•Facial asymmetries and eye motor problems

• Learning disabilities, A.D.D., A.D.H.D

• Gross and fine motor problems

• Developmental delays, autism

• Headaches, Migraines

•Concussion,and post-concussion symptoms

• Tinnitus, hearing loss and vertigo

• TMJ syndrome

• Stress disorders and insomnia

• Muscle and joint pain or injury

• Many neurological conditions and pain syndromes

What You Can Expect

A very soft touch to release tissue tension.

Few structures have as much influence over the body's ability to function properly as the brain and spinal cord that make up the central nervous system. The central nervous system is significantly influenced by the craniosacral system, the membranes and the fluid that surrounds, protects and nourishes the brain and spinal cord.  Due to daily ongoing stress  your body is under a constant state of flux which influences every aspect of your being. 

These changes cause body tissues to tighten and distort the craniosacral system. These distortions can cause tension to form around the brain and spinal cord, resulting in restrictions there as well. This creates a barrier to the healthy performance of the central nervous system and potentially every other system that it interacts with. Fortunately, these restrictions can be detected and corrected using these simple craniosacral methods of touch.

Using a soft touch, generally no greater than 5 grams (about the weight of a nickel), restrictions are released in the soft tissues that surround the central nervous system. As a  therapist, I  work with the whole mind body and spirit at once, to release tension, unnecessary restrictions and poor circulation.

Working with my hands as fine discriminating tools, I  detect disturbances in the craniosacral rhythm, identifying areas of dysfunction; such as cranial and sutural membranes and or other soft-tissue restrictions in the body. Soft-touch techniques are used to release restrictions in the tissues influencing the entire craniosacral system, thus increasing the recipient’s own natural flow of life force or energy The experience is definitely worth experiencing.

By normalizing the environment around the brain and the spinal cord and enhancing the body's ability to self-correct, Cranio Sacral Therapy then, can alleviate pain in a wide variety of ways- from mental health concerns, to chronic pain, from sports injuries,  or to stroke and neurological impairments.

 Craniosacral is a preventive health measure for its ability to bolster and to increase your immune systems response to disease. It’s effective for a wide range of conditions related to pain and discomfort. Come explore this extraordinary modality.


Patients remain clothed during a treatment, and treatments generally are one to one half hours long.

Osteopathy then, is a system of preventive medicine which considers the body and mind as one.

A comprehensive approach to health care


Osteopathy’s aim, is to restore the body's vital calibration, - to normalize movement and circulation, to increase the function and firing of the endocrine and nervous systems, to reduce organ restrictions, and to improve the overall function of the body’s vital autonomic system which is crucial to good health. Cranial Osteopathy importantly resets the parasympathetic system restoring your sense of mental, physical and emotional well being. - clients sometimes say how zen they feel after a cranio treatment. Cranio Osteopathy helps to increase your awareness of self and your sense of self in the world.


Osteopathy then, is a system of preventive medicine which considers the body and mind as one.  Osteopathy has the capacity to bring enormous healing to the individual and to the community who seek a holistically framed and comprehensive approach to health care. I wish to be of service in a society where a sound mind and body are instrumental to good health and vibrancy.


Inspiration:

1.Osteopathy Head to Toe Health through Manipulation, Leon Chaitow

History of Osteopathy

The art and science of

Osteopathy was distilled originally by Andrew Taylor Still, who was born in 1828 in Jonesburg, Virginia USA. He studied the nature of health and disease over his entire career. He believed that a human being was equal to more than the sum of her parts and was the first American doctor to emphasize this understanding. This new found awareness of the vital inter-relationship between the structure and the function of the body was a turning point in the way in which the allopathic model in the US, was approached at the time.

The Musculoskeletal system (MSK) comprises of more than 60% of the total body structure and enables movement to take place, houses the organs of the body and provides shock absorption-which supports the whole system to function.

The MSK is also intimately connected with the other body systems through the nervous system, the circulatory and the endocrine systems to sustain homeostasis and to derive good  health.

In order to function normally and to respond to the demands of life said Still, the body must have an unimpeded flow of blood and nerve impulses. If the structure is in alignment, the joints will function normally and the tissues and the organs of the body will be in a correct position.

According to Still “in order to come to an understanding of the cause for disease, a person must be seen in relation to her food, his work, her home life, his emotions, her relationships with others, his inherited characteristics and her attitudes in life.

Then the study must be made of the bones, muscles, fascia and organs as well as of the circulation, nervous and hormonal systems. In this way, patterns will emerge that will indicate causes and therefore remedies for disease.

Health is not the mere absence of disease but is a positive state of harmony within the body and  being in  environment. The very center of osteopathic philosophy is this interdependence between the structure and its function. When the body's proper alignment and tissue restrictions are corrected health is restored.” 1.


Jean-Pierre Barral, an Osteopath from France believes that changes that occur in the organs, glands or nervous system may happen first, and what leads to the changes in the MSK system. He was the first to suggest, that the position and vitality of our organs may indeed cause the structural misalignments and focuses his work based on this premise.


Osteopathy then is built upon three pillars, which includes the health and function of the musculoskeletal system, with structural Osteopathy, with visceral manipulation which relieves restrictions of the organs and tissues, and with Craniosacral therapy, the third pillar of Osteopathy, introduced by one of Still's direct students, Dr. Sutherland in the thirties, and who discovered that cranial bones have micro movement that allows for the unimpeded flow of the cerebrospinal fluid. This has become a specialized area of Osteopathic medicine.

"Restrictions or lesions in craniosacral therapy may be found as structural misalignments in the articulation of the cranial bones or in the flow and health of the cerebro-spinal fluid - that moves to and from the cranium and down the spine, which in turn impacts the health and vitality of the neuro-endocrine and blood circulation. Imbalances may be due to any of the 40 muscles inserting into the skull, or of the 12 cranial nerves that are intimately connected. These all depend upon a vital link between the sacral base on which the spine stands and the cranial base which rests on the spine."


The structural and tissue restrictions changes that take place in the spine and in the body on the whole during an osteopathic treatment may therefore correct and potentially normalize the entire system, most importantly - increase the body’s own natural ability to heal, a guiding principle in Traditional Osteopathy.

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