Osteopathy
A system of diagnosis and treatment with the hands using gentle, effective techniques based on some key ideas;
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that the bodies outer structure, (muscles, joints and bones) is intimately connected to the bodies internal function, (organs, glands etc.) by nerve, blood and connective tissue. Hence one can treat the structure to effect the function.
- that the body is a unit, so osteopaths treat you in relation to the problem, not just the symptoms. In this way longterm recovery to chronic problems may be possible.
- that movement is key to all life processes, if something is immobile or stuck, there is a problem. - that a person is a unity (mind, body, spirit) and osteopathy addresses all these aspects through structure.
Put simply, if the structure is balanced and functions well then the other aspects of a person must improve. In everyday life our bodies (structure) are continually adapting to the demands that we make on them. They do this automatically, however, sometimes stress (physical or emotional) overcomes the reflex corrections that the body tries to make and this presents as pain and loss of function. In this situation osteopathy can be an appropriate treatment to help resolve the stresses held in the body and help to make structure function again.
Cranial Osteopathy
Is the source of all other cranial type treatments including cranial sacral therapy, sacral occipital release and somato emotional technique. Although Cranial means the head, it is a whole body treatment.
The name 'Cranial' came from the fact that the diagnosis & techniques started with the balancing and correction of the bones of the skull. Cranial Osteopathy is the natural evolution of all Osteopathy, using very gentle non-invasive techniques to balance and correct the body.
It is richly based in Osteopathic history, technique and science and cranial techniques cannot be separated from osteopathy; indeed they are one. All Cranial osteopaths use and respect in total the points outlined in the definition of osteopathy in para 1.