Osteopathy works by correctly identifying musculoskeletal, constitutional and lifestyle imbalance then employing specific Osteopathic techniques systematically re-establishing balance.

 

The core principles of Osteopathic philosophy are:
 

1. The body is a unit; a person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit or soul that governs our emotional (metaphysical) and physical being.

2. The body is capable of  health maintenance, however any system of the body can be stuck out of balance due to injury or illness and need assistance to allow self regulating and self healing mechanisms to function normally.

3. Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.

4. Rational treatment is based on an understanding of these principles: body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.
    

This rational treatment firstly requires obtaining a complete history followed by an examination and performing a structural analysis in order to locate the site of pain and more importantly to assess the cause of dysfunction which may be removed from the site of the pain.

 

Emphasis is placed on obtaining a complete structural analysis to ascertain overall musculoskeletal imbalance. Spinal and muscular dysfunction occurs when the spine and pelvis are out of balance. This imbalance causes some vertebra to shift out of alignment and therefore not articulate through their normal full range of movement.

 

Ultimately the range of movement becomes so restricted at these malfunctioning vertebrae that the spinal joints jam or lock due protective muscle guarding and associated inflammation thereby causing pain. Therefore the pain from a jammed joint may be caused by an imbalance elsewhere, usually in the pelvis but maybe in the lower limbs such as with pronated ankles.

 

Osteopaths not only treat pain and discomfort but also take an overall or holistic approach to restoring balance to your musculoskeletal, visceral, circulatory and nervous systems as well as the impact diet, exercise and lifestyle have on these imbalances in order that that balance is maintained so that dysfunction and pain do not return.