What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a recognised primary healthcare system of diagnosis, treatment, prevention and rehabilitation of musclo-skeletal problems.
Osteopathy is used worldwide to compliment mainstream or alternative medicine for patients with problems of the spine, peripheral joints, ligaments or muscles.
Osteopathy is a natural medicine that approaches patients holistically. An osteopath will consider a patient’s lifestyle, medical history, diet and stress levels, and assess the entire patient in relation to their presenting symptom. In addition to using their hands to feel the body’s tissues, enabling them to diagnose and treat sore muscles and painful joints. Osteopathy recognises that the body has the inherent ability to heal itself and contains its own “medicine chest” to do this.
Origins of Osteopathy
Osteopathy began in the United States in 1874, with the work and practise of Andrew Taylor Still, a physician and surgeon. His views supported the idea that the body’s natural state tends toward health and inherently contains the capacity to battle any harmful threats to health in the body. You can read about the history of Osteopath and the work of A.T. Still here.
Treatment & Techniques
Suzanne uses a range of techniques to encourage the body’s tissues back to an expression of optimum health:
- Hands on gentle manipulation to align, relax and balance the spine.
- Careful work with her hands on tight and painful muscles.
- Work on your posture and structural make up to recover the natural ease and lift in the spine.
- Advice on lifestyle and habits, including exercises, diet and stress reduction.
Cranial Osteopathy
Cranial osteopathy provides a gentle way to treat the body. A cranial osteopath works by manipulating subtle, involuntary movements of the body to relax and unwind the tissues. It is often the treatment of choice for babies and children because it is a gentle treatment.
With the release of tension, cranial osteopathy can promote physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. A psychological explanation for Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is that all body activities, voluntary and involuntary, are controlled by the brain. The central nervous system can be relieved of tension, resulting in a feeling of well-being.
The spinal cord and the brain make up the central nervous system. It is for this reason that the treatment involves gently massaging the head and the spinal cord. We depend on our central nervous system for making decisions, reacting to situations, and feeling emotions. It determines how we respond to pain, happiness, sadness, and pleasure. Therefore, the health of our brain and spinal cord is a major determinant of our overall wellbeing.