CARE & CURE

HISTORY OF OSTEOPATHY​

Osteopathy was founded by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still. Osteopathic medicine dates back more than 100 years. Its founder thought that correcting problems with the body's structure could help the body heal itself. Still, who practiced during the Civil War, believed that spine problems can send nerve signals out to all the organs and make you sick. He developed osteopathic manipulation treatments with a goal of restoring the nerves to a healthy state and promoting circulation so the body could heal itself. This healing method is practiced by an osteopath who performs a treatment and examination manually. This involves primarily using your hands. Osteopathy sees the body as a holistic entity, where all of the parts are interconnected and affect each other. By treating one part of the body, other parts of the body can also be affected. The treatments involve manual manipulation of the musculoskeletal system, an osteopath works within a broad area, it is suitable for several different problem areas. Trying to adjust the spine and mobilize the joints is common. In terms of mobilizing the joints, the theory behind osteopathy is to twist a joint in different directions to get more movement in the joint and to increase circulation. Osteopaths usually treat pain in the muscles and periosteum through pressure and stretching. By stretching joints and muscles as recommended by osteopaths, pain can be reduced and range of motion can be improved. The treatment can also allow the injured person to use their muscle strength against resistance or the reverse.

Osteopaths are also trained to utilize physical means such as heat, cold, ultrasound, electricity, shockwave to relieve pain due to restrictions caused by injury to the soft tissues.