Osteopathy is a system of medical diagnosis and treatment.
It is a hands-on, drug-free approach.
Osteopaths train and develop a highly skilled sense of touch. They use their hands to identify and treat areas of the body that are painful, injured, or prone to recurrent episodes of illness.
Osteopathy restores the correct environmental conditions to the body to allow it to heal itself correctly and completely after injury, accident or illness.
In order to function in health, all body systems require the following:
• A good blood supply: Blood brings nutrition and oxygen to the cells. This allows body systems to work efficiently, to repair and renew themselves, and to fight off infection.
•An unimpeded nerve supply: Nerve endings provide information about the state of health of that area, and tell the cells how to function. Even a tiny degree of nerve entrapment can be a source of chronic pain and cause the cells to malfunction.
•A good lymph supply: Lymph is a bodily fluid that helps fight infection, and keeps the cellular environment clean. Lymphatic flow is essential to prevent recurrent illness.
If these key factors are impaired, the body’s ability to self-repair is compromised.
Many common life events can damage our ability to heal fully, so that a chronic cycle of pain or illness is perpetuated. These include:
•Injury
•Repetitive strain
•Wear and tear
•Illness
•Stress
Osteopaths use hands-on techniques to manipulate and improve the blood, nerve, and lymph supply to a damaged or ill part of the body. By working in this way the body is helped in its natural ability to self-repair and heal. The cycle of pain or illness is broken, and the need for ongoing medication is reduced or eliminated.
Osteopathic treatment is aimed not only at the relief of symptoms, but towards helping the body to function better in all respects. Patients often report an improvement in general well being, energy levels, sleep patterns and also in areas of symptoms other than those that brought them for treatment in the first place. |
