Osteopathy is an approach to healthcare that emphasizes the role of the musculoskeleta system in health and disease. In most countries osteopathy is a form of complementar medicine, emphasizing a holistic approach and the skilled use of a range of manual and physical treatment interventions (osteopathic manipulative medicine, or OMM in the United States) in the prevention and treatment of disease. In practice, this most commonly relates to musculoskeletal problems such as back and neck pain.
Osteopaths aim to help to reduce the symptoms and improve the health and quality of life of the patient by:
• identifying imbalances within the musculoskeletal system;
• facilitating the body's ability to heal itself through stretching, massage, deep massage and gentle manipulation;
• offering added exercise and health advice.
Osteopathy involves the treatment of vertebral column, joint, bone, muscle and tissue in the whole body. Structural derangement or lesion is considered the most important underlying cause of disease. A lesion may be in bony, muscular, ligamentous, facial, or other tissues. It results in lack of normal movement in surrounding tissues allowing blood and lymph to stagnate, causing acidosis, irritating nerves which pass that way and through them affecting the functions of various organs including blood vessels.
osteopathic medicine is a complete system of healthcare with a philosophy that combines the needs of the patient with the current practice of medicine. Doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) practice a whole-person approach, which means they consider both the physical and mental needs of their patients.
Osteopathy (including Cranial Osteopathy) takes advantage of the body's natural tendency to strive toward a state of health and homeostasis. A much in demand specialty, the Osteopath is trained to palpate (feel) the body's "living anatomy" (i.e. flow of fluids, motion and texture of tissues, and structural makeup). They address health problems with a non-invasive system of medicine called, "Osteopathic Manual Medicine" in order to restore normal function in areas impaired by trauma, chronic illness, acute health problems, etc.
Osteopathic medicine is dedicated to treating and healing the entire patient as a whole, rather than focusing on one system or body part. An osteopathic physician will often use a treatment method called manipulation -- a hands-on approach to assure that the body is moving freely. This free motion ensures that all of your body's natural healing systems are free to work unhindered.
Some osteopaths function primarily in a conventional capacity, offering traditional diagnosis and treatment. Others incorporate more of the hands-on osteopathic approaches, using the cranial and musculoskeletal systems to help restore balance and relieve neurological, respiratory, digestive, and other symptoms.
Osteopathy is a system of healthcare and not just a series of techniques applied to the body. It is based on the philosophy that the body should be able to auto-regulate itself in order to maintain a state of health, balance and harmony. The body should be able to adapt and recover from even traumatic events, however sometimes this ability to adapt and compensate gets overwhelmed, and may need some assistance, this is where osteopaths can help.
