About Osteopathy
| Osteopathy comes from the ancient Greek words Osteon and Pathos. Osteon means “structure of living matter,” and Pathos means “deep emotional feeling that a being wishes to express.” Greeks believed that if Pathos is not being expressed, then there is suffering.
The practice of Osteopathy emphasizes the importance of the correct structure and mobility of the tissues in order to improve the function of the whole body This manual diagnostic and therapeutic system is based on the premise that the primary role of the therapist is to facilitate the body’s inherent ability to self-regulate and self-heal. It was founded by an American physician, Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, in 1874. Since then, it has established itself as an integral part of health care in the US, Europe and Canada. Osteopathic philosophy maintains that the structure and function of the body are interconnected: problems in one organ affect other organ systems. For this reason, Osteopaths assess and treat the body as a whole, recognizing even the smallest, localized deviations as obstacles to the healthy functioning of the entire body. |
An Osteopath is a guide who is leading his or her patients towards their emotional, spiritual and physical balance. He or she identifies the causes of pain and imbalance in the body by assessing the position, mobility and vitality of the tissues. When an Osteopath treats a patient, he or she is always maintaining a dialog with the tissues by asking them: “Where are you? Where do you need to be? What prevents you from going there?”
The goal then of the Osteopathic treatment, as Dr. Andrew Taylor Still has put it, is to: “Find it, fix it and leave it alone.” To this end, a traditional Osteopathic treatment combines the four main types of Osteopathic modalities: Osteopathic techniques and theories are applied in my practice. I am currently working towards a diploma in Osteopathy (manual practice) at the Canadian College of Osteopathy. |