WHAT IS OSTEOPATHY?

Manual Osteopathy is a European holistic health care profession that performs hands on techniques for chronic pain & pain management. Manual Osteopathy is based on the belief that the structure of the body influences the body function. If any structure is out of place, injured or otherwise not working properly, the body will not perform at its best. 

Osteopathy addresses the interconnected of body structure and function, addressing alignment, aiding the flow of fluids, supporting the nervous system and addressing structural adaptations resulting from stress or injury to enhance the function of the entire body. Manual Osteopathic Practitioners assess and treat the neuromuscular skeletal system and imbalances of the kinetic body as a whole. We apply Soft Tissue Therapy, Mobilization, Muscle Energy Techniques, Cranial Osteopathy, CranioSacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation and more.

The History of Osteopathy: Founded by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, MD, DO who established Osteopathy in the late 1800's in the United States. Dr. Still first observed osteopathic treatment performed by "Shawnee Indians" when they used manual techniques to fix a painful pelvis. Dr. Still mastered the techniques and adjusted the approach to be used in his own practice as a medical doctor; this began the healing field we now know as osteopathy. Osteopathy is essentially a way of detecting, treating and preventing health problems by moving, stretching and massaging a person's muscles and joints thereby influencing underlying tissues, fascia and fluids.

Dr. Still established  4 Tenets of Osteopathic Medicine

 1. The body is a unit; the person is a unit of composed of mind, body and spirit. Therefore treatment shall include the body as a whole.

 2. The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.  Prevention of injury as well as healing is possible.

3. Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated. If any body structure is out of place, injured or otherwise not working properly, the body will not perform at its best. Manual Osteopathy can assist with spinal alignment, joint and bone dis-orders, blood circulation, tissue oxygenation and nervous system disorders.

4. Manual Osteopathic treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of the body functioning as a whole, its ability to self-regulate and re establish homeostasis, and the interrelationship of structure and function.

Throughout the world, there are 2 branches of osteopathy- Manual Osteopathy Practitioners and Osteopathy Physicians who are trained to perform surgery.  Today, in America, osteopathic physicians are essentially medical doctors; they are differentiated from manual osteopathic practitioners who offer the original techniques and hands-on therapy.

The majority of Osteopathic practitioners practicing throughout the world are manual osteopathic practitioners trained in the safe, gentle, non invasive techniques. In the United States and Spain, the National University of Medical Sciences offers Manual Osteopathic education as a much needed alternative instead of pain medication and invasive techniques such as surgery for joint, nervous system and musculo skeletal issues.

Osteopathic Manual Practitioners perform gentle hands on techniques used to improve whole body health and well-being while offering non invasive ways to support the bodies self healing mechanisms.  Manual osteopathy is a long term solution for chronic pain where NO medication or surgery is needed.