What is Osteopathy?
The name is simply because the Osteopathic practitioner uses the position and mobility of the bones to measure and treat all other systems of the body through a structure to function influence. Using the bones as levers to affect change throughout the body. It's an efficient way to effect change throughout the body in a method that allows for greater integration, and differential diagnosis of structural assessment interrelationships. Because the bones are connected to, house, and influence all other systems, tissue and organs, the Osteopathic practitioner considers all anatomy in assessment and treatment; musculoskeletal, nervous, lymph, organs and vessels.
How does it work?
Biomechanical assessment with respect to collective mechanics is at the heart of the treatment process. It is the job of the osteopath to identify the cause of the symptom(s) (ie. pain, restriction, inflammation etc.) through correlation of nerve centers and affecting structure using differential structural diagnosis. As the body regains mechanical function, all systems are also liberated to function as intended. Some elements of treatment are shared by other modalities, such as gentle stretching, strategic and gradual myofascial release, compression, muscle energy/PIR, rocking, pressure points etc. However the correlative approach and differential approach enable the Osteopathic Manual Practitioner to deduce how the body responds and tailor treatment to accommodate treatment to suit the individual and their system.
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What is "Classical Osteopathic Manual Therapy"?
Classical Osteopathic manual therapy emerged under the American Dr. Andrew Taylor Still (1828-1917) as a means of providing relief and health care at a time when medications often did more harm than good. Today the term clarifies the scope of practice from today's Doctors of Osteopathy (primarily in the United States) who include pharmacology in their sphere of care. Classical Osteopathic Manual Practitioners, as the term suggests, rely exclusively on structural assessment and manual therapy to liberate the body's self regulation and self healing mechanisms.​
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For more details and history visit the OSTCAN website:
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What's the logic?
The practitioner measures the position and mobility of your skeleton and deduces the influences responsible for this misalignment as treatment proceeds. Think of a house. Good foundation, good walls, good electrical and plumbing…everything works! Crooked foundation, slanted walls, bent plumbing pipes, tension on the electrical cords…problems...
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What to expect
Your posture and mobility will be assessed to determine the course of treatment and confirm it's effect.
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Treatment can be general or specific, depending on your body's structural assessment. You may feel pressed upon, stretched, rocked, or asked for a little effort to resistance the hold of your practitioner. If you are most comfortable in one particular position, even if that's standing (those days can happen), just let me know.
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Treatment can feel light but have profound effects which you may feel after treament, either the same evening, the next day or you may be sore for one or a few days.
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Response to treatment varies both during the appointment and after, and throughout a series of treatments. Your needs are determined by how long you've experienced your complaint and other health and anatomy related factors which will be discussed to gauge your expectations during your initial treatment.
Who can benefit?
Treatment can benefit people of all ages and conditions.
Systems that can improve include:
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Muscle and joint pain
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Respiration and sinus congestion
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Reproductive function
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Digestion
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Inflammation
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Headaches
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Other conditions
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