If you’ve never heard of osteopathy before you’re not alone, although Osteopathy has a long history dating back to 1870’s, it’s still relatively unknown in Saskatchewan.
Osteopathic Treatment
Some people seek treatment for specific symptoms, illnesses or dysfunctions. Others seek treatment as preventative, or to enhance their current health and state of being.
Manual Osteopathy
Manual osteopathy is a whole person, natural, hands-on approach to healthcare, administered through touch. It is guided by four distinct principles.
The 4 Principles of Osteopathy
- First Principle: Structure and function are interrelated – this means that container of body – the actual structure – it’s position and mobility, is related to the function (central nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiratory, gastrointestinal). It’s reciprocal – how the body functions also impacts how the mobility, position and health of the structure.
- Second Principle: The body is autoregulatory – the body is continuously regulating and balancing itself. Homeostasis is a term used to describe the way in which the body creates an equilibrium between and within each body system. This is a contributing factor to the healing process.
- Third Principle: The rule of the artery is absolute – blood flow is imperitive for healthy functioning and optimal well-being. Our blood carries the nutrients, hormones, and proteins that are necessary for organ and tissue health. If blood flow into or out of any tissue is compromised, over time symptoms will arise.
- Fourth Principle: The body is a functional unit. Our bodies function as one living, breathing organism. The break-down of the body into separate systems and anatomical parts is a man-made system of classification and naming. The ‘part’s do not work on their own but only within the framework of the whole.
