So, what's different about Classical Osteopathy?
First a little of the history.....Two men named Andrew Taylor Still and John Martin Littlejohn brought their expertise together in the latter part of the 19th century. Both were keen enthusiasts of anatomy and physiology and together they layed the foundations of the theory, philosophy and technique of Osteopathy. The first school of Osteopathy was opened in Kirksville, USA and Littlejohn later established the British School of Osteopathy in 1913.
The philosophy had 4 fundamental principles based on their years of study of the human body:
1) Our anatomy/mechanics (outer body) has an interplay with our physiology (internal body systems/organs)
2) The body is an integrated unit
3) The body has its own inherent healing mechanisms and medicines
4) To treat the body as a co-ordinated whole we must consider each of the above principles
The Classical Osteopathic treatment is gentle yet powerful in its application and aims to restore balance and ease throughout the body (both internally and externally) thereby restoring vitality to the patient. The approach is in contrast to the current medical way of dealing with any given problem. Osteopathically, the symptom is more often viewed as the effect of a disturbance in the body. Unfortunately it seems that, far too often, drugs/chemicals are the first line of defence in current mainstream medical treatments. Classical Osteopaths would see this method of treatment as affecting the symptom more than the cause. It is worth pointing out however, that Osteopathic treatment should be viewed as both an alternative and a complement to the medical care of your doctor and, where required, your Osteopath will work in conjunction with your specialist.
The philosophy had 4 fundamental principles based on their years of study of the human body:
1) Our anatomy/mechanics (outer body) has an interplay with our physiology (internal body systems/organs)
2) The body is an integrated unit
3) The body has its own inherent healing mechanisms and medicines
4) To treat the body as a co-ordinated whole we must consider each of the above principles
The Classical Osteopathic treatment is gentle yet powerful in its application and aims to restore balance and ease throughout the body (both internally and externally) thereby restoring vitality to the patient. The approach is in contrast to the current medical way of dealing with any given problem. Osteopathically, the symptom is more often viewed as the effect of a disturbance in the body. Unfortunately it seems that, far too often, drugs/chemicals are the first line of defence in current mainstream medical treatments. Classical Osteopaths would see this method of treatment as affecting the symptom more than the cause. It is worth pointing out however, that Osteopathic treatment should be viewed as both an alternative and a complement to the medical care of your doctor and, where required, your Osteopath will work in conjunction with your specialist.
