Manual Osteopathy
Barbara Shaw
“I realized I would have to develop a type of palpatory skill whereby I could hear what the body physiology had to say, instead of me telling it what to do… It is a form of palpation that one might call an alert observation type of awareness for the functions and dysfunctions from within the patient, utilizing the motive energy deep within the tissues themselves… The patient is guessing as to a diagnosis, the doctor is scientifically guessing as to a diagnosis, while the patient’s body knows the problem and is manifesting it through tissues.”
— Roland Becker, DO, Life In Motion
Dr A.T. Still D.O. said ‘start with the bones’, thus he named his medical work ‘Osteopathy’. And indeed we do start with the bones, the general structure and posture of a client, to assess and treat individuals. But Osteopathy provides treatment for the whole being and can be applied to any condition, injury or dysfunction of the body. It incorporated ligamentous balancing to restore joint mechanics and mobility, myofascial release for tissue restriction as well as visceral and cranial osteopathy to treat organ dysfunction, endocrine and neurological problems. These are just some of the skills and benefit of Manual Osteopathy.
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Three basic principals guide and inform Osteopathy. The first being that our body is a single unit of function. Thus we know that any change in one area of the body is going to impact the whole person and that treatment, therefore needs to encompass not just the local complaint but the compensating structures and tissues that are connected to the area of complaint. For instance, spinal restrictions are mobilised for the relief of local back pain and also the improved function of breathing, heart and all our organs. We may even find that there are older injuries or habitual patterns of movement that underlie a current symptom and so all these aspects are addressed in our treatments.
The second principle states that the body has an inherent ability to self-regulate. This refers to our bodies ability to defend, heal, maintain, balance and compensate for any stresses put on the body. Stress includes everything from genetics to diet, exposure to infections and injury, from birth traumas to the daily process of ageing. By the study and understanding of the physiology behind these regulating functions, Osteopathy can use very gentle techniques to awaken the body to its current imbalance and stimulate the body's own healing mechanisms. Working with the intelligence of the body, we take the client to a state of ease that then lead to release and rebalancing.
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The third principal states that structure and function are reciprocally related. By this, we understand that the shape or structure of a body part or regional area will determine the function and functionality of a structure and also that the function or repeated tasks we put our body through will shape the structures of our body. Thus a marathon runner develops a bigger heart than average and the office administer develops carpal tunnel from repeated keyboard work and wrist strain. Applying this concept to cranial osteopathy I was taught that ‘physiological compression equates with psychological compression’ (John Beaulieu N.D. Ph.D.) offering insight for support of mental and emotional conditions through manual treatments.
Osteopathic Medicine has been described as a Philosophy, a Science and an Art. The science of Osteopathy applies chemical, anatomical and physiological understanding to the philosophy and basic principals stated above. The art lies in an Osteopath’s very developed skills of observation and palpation and the intelligence and instinct that brings these aspects together in client care and treatment.