Osteopathy
Life is movement Movement is essential for the optimal functioning of the human body. Osteopathy works from the principal that the body can function due to the fact that it can move. This idea is not restricted to the known movements in joints and muscles, but also the fine, rhythmic and unconscious movements of all body-parts, including organs and the skull.
Everything that is alive, moves. On the other side, loss of movement can lead to pain. Certain lifestyle and diets can lead to limitation of movements in the body. Not just only in joints and muscles, but also in organs, nerves and on an energetic level.
Osteopathy can trace these limits in and restore movements and thus restore the flow of life.
Osteopathy is very beneficial for back problems, sciatica, lumbar pains, neck and shoulder pains, hip and knee pains, headache and migraine, dizziness and much more.
Healing with hands
Osteopathy is a manual therapy that works from a holistic point of view and respects the interaction between the different body-parts and organs. Only by the use of manual techniques, osteopathy tries to restore the optimal functioning of the body.
Osteopathy is based on three principles:
- We are a unity of body, mind and spirit
- The body has its own capacity of healing and self-regulation
- The body consists of tissue structures, whose form and function are closely connected
The treatment
The osteopathic treatment is a synthesis of the three former principles that we are a unity of body mind and spirit, that reacts as a whole, with unbreakable connections and interactions between its various systems and that has the capacity to heal and maintain itself.
History
Before the actual treatment, the osteopath will go through the history of the client asking about former and current problems, traumas and illness looking for connections in them.
Posture analysis
The posture of the body is thoroughly examined. There is a reason for every posture. A small change in the posture can already have big consequences for the functioning of the body.
A physiotherapist or chiropractor will usually apply his therapy locally. The osteopath however will study the whole body looking for alterations in movement and abnormal tension.
The three systems
Investigation and treatment of three different levels will be considered:
Locomotive: proper movement in joints, muscles, tendons and connective tissue.
Internal organs: proper functioning and movement of the internal organs and the diaphragm.
Craniosacral: free movement between the skull plates and the sacrum connected through an inelastic spinal cord. These parts form a functional unity. Improper functioning can have widespread consequences for the whole organism (circulation, nerve reaction, lymph flow)
After the examination the osteopath will inform the client of the blockages and how they lead to the complaints. By using special techniques the osteopath will try to restore the movement and the flow in the body. The goal is to regain movement in joints and release tension in muscles and connective tissue (fascie).