So, What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a well-established system of health care.
The founding principles of which enable the osteopath to provide a holistic manual therapy that is tailored to the individual needs of the patient.
The body has its own innate ability to tend towards health.
A founding principle of Osteopathy is that structure governs function, that is to say that each part of the body is designed to carry out its function efficiently.
When the body's structure becomes damaged or less healthy, it reduces the body’s ability to function optimally.
Another principle is that the body is a complete and fully integrated unit.
The body’s ability to function is dependent upon the harmony of interrelationships between each body system, organ, nerve, blood vessel and of course the musculoskeletal system – joints, tendons, muscles and ligaments.
Approaches to Osteopathy
Osteopathy is a healthcare modality, comprising many different approaches and techniques.
No two Osteopaths practise in exactly the same way. Whilst Osteopathy is a science, how we practise that science is an art, and one which varies according to our personalities, studies, clinical experience and the needs of the patient. This we believe is a jewel of Osteopathy.
Terminology such as Cranial Osteopathy, Structural Osteopathy or Visceral Osteopathy are simply names for types of manual therapy.
At HealthWise we feel it’s important not to be limited by subscribing solely to one approach to Osteopathy, after all, particular techniques or approaches don’t work for everybody. Therefore we will work in whatever way we feel will best achieve the results you are looking for.
Osteopaths Andy, Bhakti and Simon, with their diverse approach to patient care, will have the best way forward for you. Should there be a need for a referral to another health practitioner, Healthwise Centre is well placed to do so.
The centre has other practitioners who specialise in Acupuncture, Homeopathy. Additionally we have an extensive network of practitioners in the area.
A Little History of Osteopathy
In 1874, medical practitioner Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, dissatisfied with the current medical model of the time, endeavoured to discover a more efficient and appropriate method for gaining health.
Dr. Still’s extensive research and clinical studies over a period of ten years led him to believe that the role of the musculoskeletal system was imperative with regards to health and disease. Dr. Still was a strong believer in preventative medicine and viewing the patient as a whole and not focusing solely on individual symptoms. The result was the science of osteopathy.
Dr. Still went on to found, at the first school of osteopathic medicine, the American School of Osteopathy in Kirksville Missouri in 1892.
