ABOUT OSTEOPATHY
Osteopathy is a form of manual medicine that tries to restore a healthy relationship between structure and function.
To explain this, lets consider the symptom of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury), a symptom often reported by people that work with computers. RSI leads to less supply of oxygen and nutrients to your forearms. By a process of unravelling and gentle manipulation, Osteopathy can restore the blood flow and nutrients to forearms and achieve natural forearm movements.
Another symptom often presented by patients is lower back pain. Lower back pain is a complicated symptom. It takes a really careful history and examination to determine the causes. A great example is how someone with an old ankle inhury has been limping for months. This twists up their lower back and their pelvis. The crucial hinges of the body become compromised resulting in pain and compression on the spine. Rather than only treating the back and obtaining often only short term pain relief, if you treat the ankle, hip, lower back and rib cage, you restore normal function to all these areas. The pain relief becomes significant because the the cause of the problem has been resolved.
The above examples communicate the principles of Osteopathy.
Osteopaths are mechanics. More accurately, Osteopaths are bio-mechanists. “Bios” is the Greek word for life; therefore, we focus on the mechanics of life such as the circulation that helps repair damaged discs and sprained ankles.
A car mechanic realigns the wheels if the tyres are wearing unevenly just as the osteopath balances the function of the sacroiliac joints to align the knees and ankles. Osteopaths understand the hydraulics of joints and electricals of the motor and know how to use neuromuscular techniques to adjust the panels that have been distorted by trauma, infection and poor posture.
We don’t just treat backs!!! We treat the whole body and you as a whole person
At your first appointment your osteopath will take a thorough medical history of previous surgery, illnesses, current medications, occupation and previous and current sport/exercise to get a clear picture of your lifestyle, the trauma you have had and in what way you use your body. Osteopath’s guiding philosophy and principles are to recognise that the mind, body and spirit make up the whole, and that person functions best when these three things are in unity. Also, the body’s structure and function are interrelated; if one is not working it will directly affect the other. This means for example a compressed irritated joint in the neck that is not moving properly could lead to on-going heachache and/or scalp and eye pain. Osteopathy is considered a holistic practice as it focuses on the source of your pain and not just the symptoms.
Osteopaths use many different techniques depending on the age, health and pathology of the patient. Techniques may include soft tissue massage, joint articulation and mobilisation, muscle energy technique, balanced ligament tension and Osteopathy in the cranial field.
Osteopaths are educated to treat newborns and elderly patients and are considered by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to be primary health care practitioners. Osteopaths treat a wide range of musculoskeletal problems as well as aid in the treatment of chronic pathologies. Osteopaths also have a role in the treatment of acute and chronic pain as well as rehabilitation.
Fast facts about Osteopathy
The practice of osteopathy started in America in the late 1800’s and has been practised in Australia for the last 100 years. From 1864 to 1874, following an outbreak of spinal meningitis, an American physician, Dr Andrew Taylor Still, developed medical theories that differed dramatically from the popular medical school of thought. He was outspoken in his criticism of the inappropriate use of drug therapy, and advocated the treatment of the individual rather than the disease in isolation.
Though ridiculed and derided by his peers, Dr Still persisted. The results of his radical (for that time) treatments, and the success and popularity with his patients resulted in the establishment of the American School of Osteopathy. It became popular in Australia in the 1980’s when osteopaths became registered and there are now three universities teaching osteopathy in Australia.
Osteopathy is now covered by all major health funds in Australia as well as the Chronic Disease Management Scheme with Medicare. There are now approximately 1500 osteopaths registered and practicing in Australia .
Cranial Osteopathy was developed by Dr Willaim Garner Sutherland. He saw movement between skull bones and realised this was very important. He spent 50 years studying the biomechanics of the cranial bones and how they move to allow birth and growth, and how the bones can be adjusted to reduce distortions and trauma.
Dr Sutherland described his work as Osteopathy in the cranial field and pioneered the treatment of birth trauma, treating the “bent twigs” before they become twisted branches.
“Cranial” is controversial and poorly understood, even by many Osteopaths. Logic dictates that living cells breathe. Cells of the cranium and sutures are alive and express motion as they absorb nutrients and release byproducts. This is life in motion and life expresses biphasic respiratory movements. The essence of Dr Sutherland’s brilliant insight was he felt the metabolic respiratory movements of cellular ensembles at the cranium and devised a model to explain it.
The argument is very persuasive, and is supported by extensive research into Cell Mechano-Biology.
A large area of research has evolved into the biomechanics of cell and organs and this body of research supports the biomechanical model of Osteopathy in the cranial field.
An example of “cranial” movements are our joints. The cartilage swells and gets spongier and thicker when you’re not weight bearing. As a result, humans are 1-2 cm taller in the morning. By evening, the forces of gravity and movement have squeezed the water out and we are shorter. The cartilage cells suck in water and nutrients and change size and shape as they release gases and wastes. This is cellular movement and is an example of cell mechano-biology.
Osteopathic techniques recruit these cellular forces to augment treatment and when applied to areas other than the head, are referred to as balanced ligamentous articular tension.
Patients of Eastern Suburbs Osteopathy will experience:
