What is osteopathy?
Osteopathy is over 150 years old. It began in the late 1870's by an american physician named Andrew T. Still (1828-1917). The first school of osteopathy was opened by Dr. Still in Kirksville, Missouri in 1892. He was a very learned and fascinating man of his time and I encourage you to read more about his life at the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Taylor_Still#Osteopathy
"Dr. Still developed a new style of medicine, which bases healing on restoring the body's natural healing mechanisms. He did this by using manipulation techniques to augment blood flow and lymphatic flow, to restore motion to impaired joints and to release restrictions in the internal organs and fascia (sheets of connective tissue that run throughout the body."(Source: A Pound of Cure, Dr. Steven Sanet D.O, pg 9 ISBN-13: 978-1511443913, ISBN-10: 151144391X.)
In health, the body seeks to maintain a balance and harmony. Unfortunately, we are not always in full health. "Good health can be viewed as effective compensation/adaptation by the body to its many stresses. Nonetheless, each stress leaves an indelible trace. When the individual`s resistance is low, or there are too many accumulated traces, illness typically follows." (Source: Urogenital Manipulation, Jean-Pierre Barral DO, MRO(F), RPT, pg 19 ISBN 0-939616-18-1).
The osteopathic manual practitioner uses a holistic approach to reduce and resolve tension, strains, stress and dysfunction in all areas of the body. The treatments help restore balance within and between all the systems of the body: musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, neurological, cranial and visceral (internal organs of the body).
The human body is an incredible machine. Over the course of our lives, traumas (whether physical or emotional), surgical procedures, medical conditions, depression, stress, overuse or repetitive strain injuries as well as poor posture have caused an accumulation of restrictions and tensions in our body, preventing it from doing what it does best...heal itself! As an osteopathic manual practitioner, my role is to address these tensions to help mobilize and optimize the body's own healing capabilities.
