Osteopathic Manual Therapy
“Osteopathy is the knowledge of the structure, relation and function of each part of the human body applied to the correction of whatever interferes with its harmonious operation.”
– George V. Webster, D.O., 1921
In Ontario, Osteopathic Manual Practitioners maintain, improve or restore the normal physiological function of interrelated body structures and systems, and, enhance the body’s natural ability to health itself. They use various manual assessment and treatment techniques and modalities to help people of all ages and backgrounds who suffer injury, pain or other health concerns by easing the pain, reducing swelling, improving tissue mobility and promoting efficient healing. Restricted or constricted areas of the body – areas which are not moving normally or are “strangled” or “squeezed” may exist in the following systems:
- musculoskeletal
- respiratory
- cardiovascular
- digestive
- reproductive
- nervous
Osteopathic Manual Practitioners seek to identify and then gently ease the restrictions or constrictions so the body can function normally again.
Manual osteopathy is based on 4 basic principles:
- Each structure in the body supports the body’s functions. If a structure is damaged, out of place, or otherwise not working properly, the body will not function at its best.
- The natural flow of the body’s fluids – lymphatic, vascular, and neurological – must be preserved and maintained.
- The human body is the sum of its parts. Its physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and cognitive systems don’t work independently -they work in harmony.
- When the body has no restrictions, it has the inherent ability to heal itself.
Osteopathic Manual Practitioners recognize that a patient is an integrated whole. When all of the body’s components are in balance, a person is complete and in total health.