Osteopathic Medicine.
Osteopathy is a primary care profession, focusing on the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders, and the effects of these conditions on patients’ general health.
Using many of the diagnostic procedures applied in conventional medical assessment, osteopaths seek to restore the optimal functioning of the body, where possible without the use of drugs or surgery.
Osteopathy is based on the principle that the body has the ability to heal, and osteopathic care focuses on strengthening the musculoskeletal systems to treat existing conditions and to prevent illness.
Osteopaths’ patient-centred approach to health and well-being means they consider symptoms in the context of the patient’s full medical history, as well as their lifestyle and personal circumstances. This holistic approach ensures that all treatment is tailored to the individual patient.
Reference from the : General Osteopathic Council (UK 2011) For further information on what we treat with Osteopathy please feel free to read more
What is Cranial Osteopathy ?
In 1899 William Garner Sutherland, a student of Andrew Taylor Still, observed that the 26 bones of the skull were connected by modified joints which permitted a tiny degree of physiological motion expressed through the skull and its membranes, fluids and brain within. This motion can also be felt throughout the body, similar to a very refined form of breathing. This minute rhythmical shape change has come to be seen as the body’s (and cranium’s) response to the “breath of life” or “primary respiratory mechanism”, and an expression of the individual’s state of health and well-being. Unlike flexing an arm or taking a deep breath, this motion is beyond our voluntary control, and so is called “involuntary motion”.
One of the fundamental principles of osteopathy is that “the living body is a self-correcting, self-regulating, self-healing mechanism”, constantly working to establish its optimum level of health. This principle is particularly emphasised in cranial osteopathy, wherein the practitioner seeks to be as receptive as possible to the intelligence of the “inner physician”, to sense how the body is seeking to rebalance itself. This informs the practitioner’s mind and hands as to the body’s state of health, and what support or intervention the system requires to re-establish balance and harmony, restoring the freedom it needs to get on with its job of self-healing.
The primary concern of the cranial osteopath is therefore to learn to “listen” through gentle manual contact. The treatment process arises out of this attitude of quiet respect and receptive attention.
Reference: © The Sutherland Cranial College of Osteopathy 2008 Cranial Osteopathy For Pregnancy
What is Visceral Osteopathy ?
The central premise of visceral manipulation is that the interrelationship of structure and function among the internal organs is at least as strong as that among the constituents of the musculoskeletal system. Manipulation of the viscera can be beneficially used in the treatment of internal organ dysfunction.
Ref: Barrral Jean-Pierre. Mercier Paul, (1998) “Visceral Manipulation”; Pub: Eastland Press.
The following problems may benefit from a visceral osteopathic approach
- Effects of traumas, such as whiplash
- Asthma and other breathing problems
- Postpartum pelvic problems including pelvic floor injuries
- Feeding, sleeping, developmental and other problems in babies and children
- Colic and irritable bowel syndrome
- Postoperative pain and adhesion problems
- Low back pain and neck pain
- Ear, nose, and throat problems
If you need any further information, please feel free to call.