philosophy
“The explorer for truth must first declare his independence of all obligations or brotherhoods of any kind whatsoever. He must be free to think and reason.”
- A.T. Still, philosophy of osteopathy
functional anatomy, a principles based approach & why classical osteopathy is not technique driven
As previously mentioned, Osteopathy can be described as the art and science of association. It is a holistic, rational, principles based system of healthcare deeply rooted in the laws of nature. It’s primary belief is in the design of the human body, it’s own inherent ability to self-heal and self-regulate, it’s capability to compensate and adapt when it must, and that like any machine (albeit of a biological nature), the body sometimes requires a little external assistance to correct ‘dysfunctions’ in order to be realigned, reduce restriction of motion and return the body’s normal ability to function. The goal being to bring the patient back to what would be considered optimal health for them, and relieve the nerve, artery, vein and lymphatic vessels from any restriction, allowing them to flow and function the way they are designed to.
The Osteopathic Manual Practitioner (much like both an Engineer and Mechanic), is educated on how the body is constructed, how it moves and how it should function, and then uses that knowledge to safely bring about change to structure and function. This cannot be fully achieved through application of ‘techniques', but requires practical application of osteopathic principles. Technique driven therapy implies that application of a technique does not necessarily require any of the aforementioned understanding of the human body, nor how it is being affected by the application of said technique. The Osteopathic Manual Practitioner values safety of the Patient above all else which is why a principles based approach makes sense – aside from their hands and a refined sense of palpation, knowledge of the body and how it functions, is the Operator’s most important tool in practice, and can never be replaced by any number of ‘techniques’.
There are many different Osteopathic educational institutions within Ontario, Canada, and the wider world with varying degrees of educational standards - ensure you research and select a practitioner who will provide you with the most safe & effective osteopathic care possible. Any questions, please feel free to contact us.
somatic dysfunction, symptomology, disease & sequencing
osteopathy concerns itself with finding & fixing somatic dysfunctions of the body…
Somatic Dysfunction is the more accepted descriptive term, and has been defined as the: “… impaired or altered function of related components of the somatic (body framework) system: skeletal, arthrodial and myofascial structures, and related vascular, lymphatic and neural elements”. (Osteopathic Principles in Practice by Kuchera – pg. 3, 16 – referring to the accepted: Glossary of Osteopathic Terminology).
The Osteopathic Manual Practitioners’ focus is on understanding and having a live 3D image of the normal functional anatomy of the human body within their mind’s eye while assessing and/or treating their Patients – providing a thorough understanding of how that patient’s body should be structured and how it should function so that the Practitioner can recognize when there appears to be an area which falls outside of this criteria that could potentially be causing a ‘dysfunction’.
A dysfunction can occur on many different planes but is theorized to begin at almost an elemental level: the interstitial fluids of the body - followed shortly by the myofascial tissues of the body. Sequencing refers to the different levels of tissue where the Osteopathic Manual Practitioner (herein referred to as ‘The Operator’) looks primarily for dysfunction (from superficial to deep): fascia, muscle, ligament or bone. The Operator must first “clear the smoke so we can see the fire” – this is specifically what sequencing is: which tissue is causing the issue? The Operator will test statically and dynamically (motion testing) to determine where the focus of treatment should be.
During assessment, the Operator will gather both subjective and objective information:
• Subjective – what the patient tells the practitioner, for example: “this hurts”, “I feel this”, “I have headaches”, “I have acid reflux”, etc., which is important for the practitioner to know, and this will be kept in mind during assessment/treatment, but provides a form of a personalized or idiosyncratic information to the practitioner as sensation may be experienced differently from person to person, and can be altered by any number of conditions and/or sensitivities, and cannot be measured to any degree of accuracy.
• Objective – what the Operator will find within the body, what the body ‘tells’ the Operator. These findings are typically more conclusive and meaningful for the practitioner because they are measurable (if simply just by palpation - ie. muscle tension, edema, elevated pulse, high pressure, etc.) and paint a clearer picture for the practitioner than subjective findings.
Symptoms in Osteopathy (of a cold/flu, injury, disease, condition, etc.) – can be categorized both as subjective and/or objective (can happen to varying degrees, can be induced psychologically but can also be categorized as objective due to a dysfunction itself) and are considered an expression of a Patient’s particular dysfunction(s) – the symptom(s) is/are trying to indicate that there is something wrong within the body that requires attention from an external source - bringing it to the conscious attention of the Patient. Traditional Allopathic medicine collects a list of symptoms from their Patient(s) - the Medical Doctor will discern from these symptoms what the definition of this collection of symptoms indicates: ie. the Patient has Acid Reflux, Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Asthma, etc., in an attempt to ‘solve’ the mystery behind the symptoms. The challenge with this methodology is that each Patient must be treated individually, and as not every Patient will exhibit the same series of symptoms, they may not ‘fit’ into the boxes created for these diseases/ conditions.
Osteopathic reasoning takes into consideration that each patient is unique and that ‘symptoms’ exhibited are a form of expression of their particular dysfunction and/or pattern of dysfunction. The symptoms will aid the Operator by providing information as to what is occurring within the body, like clues; but ultimately the Operator will be focused on assessing the body and correct any dysfunction that may be found, which will normally result in alleviation of the symptoms because the root cause of the issue has been addressed. This is in stark contrast to traditional allopathic medicine, where often the doctor will prescribe medication to alleviate and/or suppress symptoms, and does not necessarily serve to ‘fix’ the primary issue which caused the symptoms to begin with. Symptoms in one person can be caused by any number of dysfunctions and is specific to that Patient. This is particularly crucial considering that these traditional treatments do not take this into consideration and the Patient is being treated for their symptoms regardless of what the root cause could be. So while traditional medical intervention can be of assistance in many cases, it is not able to help everyone utilizing the same thought processes every time with every individual. Typically this is when patients begin to explore other healthcare modalities…
osteopathy on constitution & vitality
A person’s constitution is the fabric of what they are made of, while their vitality is how the constitution expresses itself. When a person has a strong constitution, their fabric is strong, resilient and adaptable. They could have been born this way, with a strong genetic make-up or they could have grown into their constitution; having experienced many hardships (ie. what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger) which helped to weave the fabric of what they are made of. Vitality, also referred to as life force, chi, prana (among other things), is how the constitution presents itself. Someone with great vitality can often be said to be ‘full of life’ or ‘larger than life’ and it is often palpable.
One of the main goals of Osteopathy focuses on assessing and recognizing a Patient’s constitution and vitality and then drawing from this health to heal areas of dysfunction within the body and to build greater constitution and vitality overall. This will enable the Patient to become stronger and more resilient to dysfunction/disease, and will help to increase the body’s ability to self-heal and self-regulate so eventually it will not require as much external assistance. This explains why one person may always complain of aches and pains with few objective findings, and why another person who never complains about their body or pain, but can have many objective findings.
body, mind & soul - connection & interrelation
While Osteopathy is predominately understood to be a physical manual therapy, it is important to note that Osteopathy also acknowledges the healthy unity of the body, mind & soul. It is the belief that thoughts are tangible things that influence not only our actions but also the very fabric of our being. Have you ever felt butterflies in your stomach? or your heart jump into your throat? or feel your cheeks burn red when you’re embarrassed? These are not ethereal intangible occurrences, but are physiological responses to external stimulus perceived through our senses and impact our minds and souls. 'The Psychological Spine' and how our nervous system houses our emotions, our thoughts, our essence, is an important concept – all of this lies within our body, within our central nervous system and is just as easily influenced by the 3D physical realm of our existence as is the rest of our body. When the Operator assesses the spine of a Patient, they are also assessing the health of the mind and spirit, and if the body can affect the mind and spirit, the reverse is also true, making it possible for certain dysfunctions to be truly psychological in nature. This is not to say that the dysfunction cannot be found within the body, or that ‘it is all in their head’, but that the mind and spirit can affect the body in a variety of ways, and when we treat the body, we treat the mind and spirit as well.
history of osteopathy
coming soon!
section is currently under construction…
FAQs
+ what is osteopathy?
Osteopathy can be described as the study of association between anatomy and it’s function – it is based on the easily observed self-healing and self-regulating mechanisms of the body and the belief that health is always its desired expression. Without over-simplifying, or overwhelming, Osteopathy is a common sense approach to assessing and treating the body holistically – its goal is to get to the root cause of health related issues. Osteopathic Manual Practitioners base their practice on the principles of natural law and the belief that misalignment to the body’s anatomical structure can create dysfunction which often interferes with it’s function.
+ who can be helped through osteopathic treatment?
Essentially, most individuals can benefit from osteopathic treatment, but whether an injury or health concern can be helped by receiving osteopathic care is very much dependent on whether or not a mechanical dysfunction/ misalignment may be causal to, or a contributing factor to the concern. A detailed consultation and osteopathic assessment (and in some cases, some initial osteopathic treatment) will help to determine whether osteopathy can help you with your particular health concern(s). As osteopathic practitioners, we encounter many patients whose health concerns have not been addressed by conventional means and who benefit tremendously from osteopathic intervention. Osteopathy can help people of all ages & stages of life with many varying health concerns including newborns/ infants, children, teens, adults, senior citizens, athletes, etc.. click here for more information & contact an osteopathic practitioner today for a consultation!
+ what can I expect during an osteopathic consultation & treatment?
What you can expect with your first appointment is an initial detailed interview with focus on your health history and an account of current health issues that are of concern to you. This is followed with a physical assessment and very low-dose treatment of any potential dysfunctions you might have through gentle manipulation of your structure. Dependent upon what is found, the osteopathic practitioner will work with the patient to devise the correct dosage of treatment for you – with the goal of stabilizing and bringing about a state of optimal health for your body. This may eventually include osteopathic investigation into behaviours that may be contributing to chronic patterns of dysfunction, as well as discussion on how to employ behavioural modifications to help in the process of more successful correction. As patients will tend to realize and then acknowledge their participation in creation or perpetuation of their health concerns (particularly when this is brought to their attention!), they must also be included in being a part of the solution! This understanding and communication is instrumental in reaching health goals quickly, and preventing issues from recurring. Please Note: loose, comfortable clothing should be worn for your appointment (no dresses or skirts please). You will not be asked to disrobe at any time.
+ is osteopathic treatment covered by insurance benefits?
While all insurance companies in Canada cover osteopathic treatment, some benefits plans/ packages do not. Please Note: we do not work directly with insurance companies to resolve remuneration for appointments, but are able to provide patients with an invoice for which you will be able to be reimbursed if your plan covers osteopathic treatment.
+ do I need a referral from my primary healthcare practitioner to be able to receive osteopathic care?
Osteopathic care is part of the private healthcare sector and does therefore not require a medical referral to make an appointment. You may however, require a medical referral to be eligible to receive reimbursement from your insurance benefits plan - if you are unsure as to whether you require a referral for benefits reimbursement, please check with your insurance company and your plan. While all insurance companies in Canada cover osteopathic treatment, some benefits plans/ packages do not. Please Note: we do not work directly with insurance companies to resolve remuneration for appointments, but are able to provide patients with an invoice for which you will be able to be reimbursed if your plan covers osteopathic treatment.
+ what should I wear to an osteopathic appointment?
Loose, comfortable clothing should be worn for your appointment (no dresses or skirts please). You will not be asked to disrobe at any time.
+ is osteopathy like chiropractic?
Osteopathy and Chiropractic are similar in the sense that they both concern themselves with alignment of the body’s tissues. Osteopathic treatment is generally very gentle - some patients have noted similarity in approaches to modalities such as massage therapy (generally used as soft tissue preparation in an osteopathic treatment), physiotherapy (testing of, and movement of joint structures) as well as chiropractic adjustment (osteopathic practitioners employ a gentle form of joint manipulation when appropriate. HVLA - high velocity, low amplitude thrust - as it is used by chiropractors, is not used in osteopathic treatment). Typically with Chiropractic adjustment there will be focus on joint articulation that will often make popping, clicking or cracking noises - if there are any articulation sounds that occur during Osteopathic treatment, this is incidental and not the focus or goal of treatment. What makes osteopathic treatment unique is the understanding of the interrelationship of structure and function throughout the body, and why it is important to understand that issues may arise from injury and/or compensation in areas distal (far away from, seemingly unrelated) to where the body is expressing discomfort.
+ what is the difference between an osteopathic physician and an osteopathic manual practitioner?
An Osteopathic Physician is a Doctor of Osteopathy (or D.O.) trained in the United States in many different Osteopathic Medical Universities - these practitioners are similar to a medical doctor in that they can have a medical practice, write prescriptions, and may or may not incorporate some manual therapy into their practice. There are currently no educational institutions within Canada training Osteopathic Physicians. An Osteopathic Manual Practitioner is a practitioner who practices a manual form of osteopathic therapy and can be trained in many countries around the world with a variety of educational standards. It is important to ensure patients research and find the right practitioner for them!
+ are there different types of osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a general term that can include many different ‘tools’ in it’s arsenal including: classical osteopathy, structural osteopathy, cranial-sacral osteopathy, biodynamic osteopathy, visceral osteopathy, etc.. All of these tools can be applied to osteopathic treatment and while there may be these distinctions, and practitioners may have different focuses in how they approach their practice, we can look at these as the tools, and osteopathy to be the tool box…
“To find health should be the object of the doctor. Anyone can find disease.”
— A.T. Still, philosophy of osteopathy