What is Osteopathy?

An osteopath sees the body as a unity. This holistic approach allows the osteopath to find the cause of your complaint. Through massages and manipulation of the muscles, joints and tissues, an osteopath will be able to reduce or completely eliminate symptoms. That is the power of osteopathy.

Mobility in osteopathy

Osteopathy is a form of manual therapy that focuses on identifying and treating restrictions in the body’s movement that can cause or maintain symptoms. Good mobility is vital for optimal functioning without complaints. Tissue quality and the ability to repair are directly dependent on local exchanges of nutrients and the removal of waste products through blood and lymph flow. Optimal flow can only occur with good mobility.

Unity in osteopathy

An osteopath sees the body as a unity. If one part of the body does not move properly, it can cause symptoms, as all tissues are connected and pain can spread to other parts of the body. An osteopath examines where movement is impeded and restores harmony between different tissues. Thus, treatment may focus on an area where you are not experiencing any symptoms at all.

What is osteopathy? This art of medicine is a true hands-on approach, with the osteopath using only his hands. Through massage, the osteopath promotes the body’s self-healing ability by loosening what is stuck.

Systems within osteopathy

The osteopath works with three systems within the body that are highly interconnected:

The musculoskeletal system: the entirety of bones, joints, joint capsules and muscles;
The organ system: the chest organs like heart and lungs, and the abdominal organs like stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys, etc.;
The craniosacral system: the envelope of the central nervous system. These include the membranes around the brain and spinal cord and the skull bones.

Within these three systems, motility is investigated. Based on this, diagnoses are made. It is important to note here that an osteopath does not make medical diagnoses.

An osteopath is not a substitute for a GP or specialist, but rather works with them. If necessary, an osteopath will refer.

An osteopath is directly accessible; no referral from a general practitioner or medical specialist is required.