Osteopathy is the art of listening.
Our bodies are constantly regulating themselves in the face of our external environment. This process of equilibrium is the body using the all tools it has to maintain health. The body is always searching for health. Health is never a place to arrive at, but a continual process of balance.
When we are in pain, it means the tools we have to regulate ourselves are exhausted and our body is telling us. We get concerned, distressed, and often upset that our bodies aren’t working for us, but what we forget is that they are doing the best they can with the tools they have – they just need more help. This is where an osteopath comes in.
Osteopaths are trained to listen and uncover the sources of our disrupted equilibrium. By using our eyes and hands we assess the whole body to determine the problems that keep you from the best possible health.
What does a treatment look like?
An osteopath will first assess the body visually and hands on. The client is fully or partially clothed lying on a table for the majority of the treatment.
Treatment is done through subtle movement of tissues, organs, and bones. An osteopath works with the body to restore alignment and health. Osteopaths never force anything into place or override the needs of the body, you do not feel pain during the treatment.
How long does it take?
The first appointment is an hour and a half, each following is an hour. The beauty of osteopathy is that as blocks to health are removed, the body is then free to heal itself from the inside out. This is what Osteopathy’s “discoverer” A.T. Still referred to as the body’s inner physician.
Because of the body’s inherent drive for health, treatments can be spread out to give time for the body to heal. Usually one or two appointments within a week of each other is enough to get the process started, then follow up can range from a few more sessions spread out over the next few weeks or months, or a recommendation of regular monthly or quarterly appointments to help keep the body on track. Osteopathy is best used as a preventative tool.
It’s important to remember that while the pain might have appeared to show up overnight, it rarely has – unless direct trauma such as a fall or car accident is involved. It can take time to restore a true healthy balance to the body, and osteopathy seeks not to treat the symptoms, but the underlying causes of the pain and gives the power back to the body to heal itself for good.