Osteopathy, from Greek osteon (bone) and patos (disease) is a very subtle manual medicine. It is often considered like the art, science or technique to diagnose and to deal with the body malfunction by means of manipulations with the objective to improve muscle-skeletal structure. By manipulating the muscle-skeletal system, the osteopath checks if joints and muscles are correctly aligned and working as expected, or if an accident, a bad position or psychological stress has altered it.
In the theory of osteopathy this alteration causes a local or regional malfunction of nervous functions and thus an alteration of the functions of different vital organs. The bases of osteopathy were established by an American doctor, Andrew Taylor Still, in 1872. He conceived this discipline to stimulate the self healing capacity of the human body and enunciated 3 basic principles for its practice.

Basic Principles

  • Body Unity: Body, soul, the past lived and the environment are closely related.
  • Homeostasis: It is the body´s capacity to self-regulate, self-heal, self-repair itself
  • Structure / Function Interrelation: All the structures that conform the human body have a function. When a disturbance of the structure appears a function is altered as well, and on the contrary an altered function disturbs the structure

Primary Respiratory Mechanism

W.G. Sutherland, a student of Still, elaborated in 1920 the concept of respiratory movement. It is an involuntary rhythmical movement of expansion and retraction that takes origin in the brain and is characterized by light movement of the bones in the skull and sacrum, the membrane system (visceral) and the central nervous systems cerebrospinal fluid. The PRM is perceivable by the osteopath and can be modified by means of slight manipulations.

When should should You visit an Ostheopath?

  • If a disturbance appears after an accident or trauma, even if the disturbance and the accident does not seem to be related
  • To prevent and to conserve a correct state of health
  • In case of a persistent symptom that can´t be explained by allopathyc medicine
  • In case of stress, of exhaustion or if You have the necessity “to listen to your body”
  • In order to find a balance and harmony after long treatments in case of serious diseases
  • For all types of pain caused by bad position.
  • (list of pathologies not complete)

The Osteopathic treatment

Every treatment will be established according to Your personal necessities and adapted to Your progress.

The most important osteopathic techniques are: The soft manipulations of the joints, the abrupt and fast but painless pressure, the positioning destined to make disappear tensions of the affected zones and the “muscular energy” techniques.

The osteopaths can give exercise, relaxation techniques or advice to follow by the patients at home.

A competent osteopath knows the limitations of the osteopathy and can advise his patients to ask for complementary analyses or to consult another specialist.

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