Osteopathy

The name osteopathy (given to the therapy by Dr.Taylor Still, its fouder) comes from the Greek osteon (bone) and pathos (to suffer), so it literally means suffering of the bone.
Dr. Still chose the name because he recognized the importance of a properly functioning musculoskeletal system for the total well-being of the individual.
For the osteopath, therefore, the physical integrity of the whole body is seen as one of the most important factors in health and disease.
Osteopaths focus on tracing the changes in function that have occurred over a period of time. This is in order to try to understand the chain of events that have altered the relationship between structure and function.
The Osteopath is trained to feel the body's "living anatomy" (i.e. flow of fluids, motion and texture of tissues). The Osteopath's job is to "set" the body up to enable it to heal itself. To restore this normal function, the Osteopath gently applies a precise amount of force to promote movement of the bodily fluids, eliminate dysfunction in the motion of the tissues, and release compressed bones and joints. In addition, the areas being treated may require proper positioning to assist the body's ability to regain normal tissue function.
Treatment is aimed at the structural problems present and not the disease state. By removing the obstructions to health, Osteopathic physicians are able to treat many illness or/and trauma. Their philosophy is the body is a unit whose parts integrally affect each other. Therefore, dysfunction in one area affects other areas as well.

Osteopathy can help in:

• Stress-related problems (such as tension headaches, muscle spasm)
• Strains and sprains (especially of the neck and back)
• Shoulder pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Headaches
• High blood pressure
• Injuries (such as whiplash or carpal tunnel syndrome)
• Scoliosis (side to side curvature of the spine)
• Sinus congestion
• Insomnia