About Osteopathy, a manual, gentle treatment method

Osteopathy is a manual, gentle treatment method. It releases blocks in the body in order to allow the body’s self-healing ability to be activated. Osteopathy can be applied to a variety of issues and each treatment is adjusted to the individual need of the body by means of a wider spectrum of different techniques.

Any first time treatment begins with an in-depth case history. It is vital for the osteopath to ask a patient for a detailed account of their health problems, past and present, so that he/she can have a clear picture and ensure that there is no underlying pathologies which could make the treatment unsafe for the patient.

The treatment itself can be either very gentle or more structural, depending on a patient’s needs. With that it is worth mentioning that a blockade in the body could be located away from a painful area. For example: headaches could be caused due to blockages in the pelvis and back pains due to blockages to the ankle joint.

A holistic understanding of the patient‘s body can offer the osteopath a valuable advantage and result in a successful treatment outcome. It is this very self-healing ability that the human body has and osteopathy draws from, which in theory means that osteopathy is limitless.

On the day of the treatment, the patient should drink a lot of water and, if possible, refrain from undertaking any strenuous activities. To stay active is of course desirable but everything should be done in variation.

Osteopathy was originally founded in 1874 in the United States of America by Doctor Andrew Taylor Still. He was a Methodist priest and a medical doctor who, nevertheless, could not save his family when they contracted an infectious disease. Due to this, he sought a better treatment method to the one being taught at the medical schools of his time.

He based his treatment method on the belief that the human body can and will heal itself provided that it is given the chance and, also, that the structure defines the function of the tissue. Through an in-depth study of the human anatomy and the blood circulation of the tissue, he developed a manual treatment method which offered a comprehensive new type of medicine.

The name „Osteopathy“ needs to be understood through the context of its time. The meaning of the word, when seen through the prism of traditional medicine, merely means „disease of the bones“ and would be treated as such. Andrew Taylor Still wanted to impress on something else. The name osteopathy stems from his sympathy (Pathy from Pathos meaning experience or suffering) for the body (Osteo meaning bone and in extension tissue).

In the years between 1913 and 1946 Osteopathy came to England through Still’s students, whereupon it has created a long-standing tradition. Osteopathy became a recognised profession through the Osteopaths Act of 1993 and currently there are several full-time Osteopathy courses in England. Osteopathy in England is regulated by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC).