What is Osteopathy anyways? Doesn’t osteo mean bones?

Yes, osteo is related to bones (osteoporosis, osteoarthritis) but in osteopathy the osteo refers to anything structural related, which includes bones, but also connective tissue, muscles, ligaments, etc.

Dr. Andrew Taylor Still was a medical doctor in the late 1800s. At that time healing options were blood letting (leeches, etc), toxic chemicals (mercury, arsenic), surgery (cutting people open to see what they could find, often with no anesthetics), or addictive substances to dull pain (opium, whiskey).

A.T. Still was a keen observer of nature and mechanically inquisitive. He had already created a number of inventions that helped him farm easier and better. He turned his attention to the anatomy of the body in search of a better way towards health.

In his marvel at the way the body behaved and responded like a well oiled machine, he started adjusting the structures of the body (bone position, balancing muscle tension) and found that people’s health returned. He named this method osteopathy.

The 1st principle of osteopathy is: The body is a dynamic unit of function.

The body is interconnected. It works as a unit. This can mean that if you have a shoulder issue, part of what is impeding its healing is that the foundation (hips) could be unlevel.

This also means that the body will adapt to dysfunctions: compensating in order to function as best it can. So perhaps your shoulder is unlevel so your neck adapts to keep your head straight, but then your neck hurts from being out of place.

In the same way, when one part of the body returns to better health, it can have a positive effect on other areas that are not functioning as best they can.

Most of the time, these connections follow pathways of anatomy that show a connection, such as nerve pathways, or blood vessels, or a similar area such as an arm. Sometimes the direct connection is unclear, but could be that once the body has fixed one area, it has the capacity to direct attention to another area.

The body is constantly changing, adapting, and growing. This dynamic body is never at rest, but constantly working towards homeostasis, while responding to our ever changing environment. This capacity means that there should always be the potential for increase in health in some way.

During a treatment, your structure is assessed for both symmetry (eg. are your shoulders at the same height) and for correct motion (eg. does a spinal joint or shoulder joint move as it should). Both of these are integral for the body to remain a healthy dynamic unit of function.

Next principle: The body is self-healing and self-correcting

Crystle Numan is available on Monday and Tuesday mornings, Thursday afternoons, some Saturday mornings and some Wednesday evenings. You can check her availability online: https://wellness-collective.janeapp.com/#/staff_member/6 or contact her directly at crystle.numan@gmail.com or 905-966-3095.