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, their function and mobility as well as with the health and function of the muscles, fascia tissues and organs with the Visceral Osteopathic Manual therapy. 


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 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

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 man was equal to more than the sum of its 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.

According to Still “in order to come to an understanding of the cause for disease, man must be seen in relation to his food, his work, his home life, his emotions, his relationships with others, his inherited characteristics and his 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 between man and his environment. The very center of osteopathic reasoning is this interdependence between structure and its function. When the body's proper alignment and tissue restrictions are corrected health is restored.” 1.

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. 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.


Jean-Pierre Barral, an Osteopath from France believes that changes that occur in the organs, glands or nervous system may happen first and what lead 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 that 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 restriction changes that take place in the spine and 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.

"Osteopathy then, is a system of preventive medicine which considers the body as a whole."

A comprehensive approach to health care.



Osteopathy’s aim is to restore the body's vital calibration, normalize movement and circulation, to increase the function and firing of the endocrine and nervous systems, reduce organ restrictions, and 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 one's sense of mental, physical and emotional equilibrium-of self and its grounded connection with the world and those around you.


Osteopathy then, is a system of preventive medicine which considers the body as a whole. 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 to 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

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