What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a system of healing which involves the careful and specific application of a highly developed sense of touch to both diagnose and treat mechanical problems in any area of the body.
The osteopath has a detailed understanding of human anatomy and physiology and the processes of disease. This is used along with classical clinical examination methods to treat patients by releasing and stimulating the body`s natural ability to heal it`s self.
The first school of Osteopathy was started by, Andrew Taylor Still, a country doctor and farmer in the American midwest over 140 years ago. He was frustrated by the ineffectiveness of the medicine of the day, having lost several of his children to serious childhood illness.
A.T.Still developed his own system of medicine which relied largely on manual adjustments to the human body framework.
Cranial Osteopathy
Today, Osteopathy has been refined and expanded in scope and includes many techniques in addition to A.T Still’s originals.
The best known of these is Cranial Osteopathy which is known, amongst other things, for it`s use in treating babies and children. Some parents of babies and children may wish to seek an opinion from an osteopath in cases where the child is in discomfort and the GP has previously been consulted. Osteopathy uses a system of diagnosis and management based on sound anatomical principals. Although there is inadequate research available, the techniques developed by William Garner Sutherland ( a pupil of Dr Still in 1898 ) are very gentle when used by appropriately trained osteopaths. The purpose underlying their use is the same as in all osteopathic management, that the application of a good knowledge of anatomy offers a way of influencing our health through the structure of our bodies. This applies to people of all ages.
An osteopath experienced in treating babies is able to apply gentle, skilful treatment. All people express their pain and loss of function uniquely and each case has to be judged on its own. Because we make no specific claims for the efficacy of our treatment we often speak to a new patient over the phone first to discuss the their condition individually.