Osteopathic Manual Therapy Approach

What is Osteopathic Manual Therapy Approach?

The name osteopathy comes from the Greek word osteon (bone) and pathos (to suffer), so osteopathy literally means suffering of the bone. Osteopathy is "a natural medicine which aims to restore function in the body by treating the causes of pain and imbalance. To achieve this goal the Osteopath relies on the quality and finesse of his/her palpation and works with the position, mobility and quality of the tissues." Philippe Druelle, DO

  • Osteopathy recognizes that much of the pain and disability we suffer stems from abnormalities in our body's structure and function. Osteopaths then look at the causes of disease and suffering, which may originate in the abnormal working relationship that can exist within and between structures of the body.
  • Osteopaths diagnose and treat problems with muscles, ligaments, nerves and joints to help the body's natural healing ability. Osteopaths are able to determine the origin and effects of aging, trauma and other experiences, and create and administer an appropriate treatment plan. They focus on mapping out the changes in their client's functioning that have occurred over a period of time in order to try to understand the chain of events that may have altered the relationship between structure and function in their body.
  • Treatment involves gentle, manual therapy techniques, which ease pain, reduce swelling and improve mobility about the joint. Often, this involves manipulation which can result in an audible "crack" which is simply the sound of gas (nitrogen) bubbles popping in the fluid of the joints.
  • Treatment may be directed towards several specific areas, the effect of the treatment is often felt throughout the entire body and that is why it is believed that Osteopathic Manual Therapy Approach can treat the body as a whole.
  • The process of Osteopathic Manual Therapy Approach begins by:
    1. interviewing the patient
    2. performing a complete osteopathic assessment
    3. assessing the position, mobility, and quality of certain tissues, fluids, and rhythms of the body.
  • Osteopathy does not involve the use of drugs or surgery.

CITAHEALTH Osteopaths
Steve Mah
Ben Suen