The philosophy of osteopathy
Osteopathy is based on the thinking that a human body is one whole where structure (anatomy) and function (physiology) are inseparable and interrelated. According to osteopathic philosophy, the body already has everything it needs in order to sustain health – one only has to awaken the inherent capacity for self-regulation. That is why osteopaths work without recurring to medication.
Definition of Osteopathy
Osteopathy is a "soft" treatment method done manually without using any medication. Only soft touch and very slight, hardly perceptible shifting of the tissues.
Osteopathy and traditional medicine complete one another. Osteopathy does not treat disease, but the patient. It does not fight symptoms, but looks for the cause of the pathology and removes it.
Fundamental principles of osteopathy are:
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The Body is a single unit consisting of body, mind and spirit.
- The Body has a potential of self-healing, auto-regulation mechanisms and health-sustaining systems.
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The Body consists of tissue structures, the form and function of which are inseparably interrelated.
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Osteopathic therapy represents the synthesis of the three main principles: body-mind-spirit, activating the inherent healing capacities and the inseparable connection between the tissue structure and function.
Osteopath's goal
Osteopathic physician's main tools are the "feeling, thinking, seeing" fingers together with profound knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics, physiology and other scientific disciplines that allow to search for the lost health, not the disease, that help to identify the hidden original causes and, by using minimal pressure guide the body in the direction of effective utilization of its own resources.
What osteopaths treat
Osteopaths do not treat the dysfunction present in the body at any given moment. They treat the patient as a whole facilitating the state of optimal health. With this approach, every patient is unique and requires examination in all his/her multifaceted wholeness. This is why osteopathic medicine helps at any age and at any stage of life – from the moment of conception and birth till old age.
People tend to think that osteopathic treatment is used for degenerative disc and bone diseases, back pain, headaches of different origins. But osteopathy has a much wider scope of application. It includes neurology, orthopedics, traumatology, sports medicine, neonatology, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, internal diseases, etc. Osteopathy plays a very important role in disease prevention.
What happens during examination
Before examining you, the osteopath will study your medical history and ask you many questions. You doctor may be interested in even minor trauma, injuries, surgeries, scars and infections. Then he/she will carefully examine your body from head to toe, and use the necessary technique to solve your specific problems.
What techniques are used during the treatment
As an example, manipulations with joints (thrust techniques). Here, the impulse is equal to controlled strong impact on the blocked joint. The pressure in done at a very high speed and low amplitude that allow to be very gentle with the tissue. This technique will seem familiar to patients who have previously dealt with manual therapy. There's also a so-called "muscle energy" technique based on the principle "tension-tension relief" and used to release joints, muscles and ligaments. Myofascial release technique can remove excessive tension in the muscles and connective tissues.
