Andrew Taylor Still, an American doctor, founded the first school of Osteopathy in 1892. Osteopathy is based on three fundamental principles:
A person’s health is under the influence of its body and mind.
The body’s structures (muscles, bones and nerves) and the body’s functions (digestion, breathing) are closely related.
The body has a natural tendency to heal itself.
Each individual is unique and carries the traces of different wounds and emotions suffered during the course of life. Our posture adapts to our exterior and interior environments as well as our life experiences.
The role of an osteopath is to ensure that the muscle and skeletal system is in symbiosis with the body’s physiology. Problems manifesting at a muscle and skeletal level can generate nervous, circulatory, digestive or hormonal dysfunctions and vice versa.
The body has a marvelous adaptation mechanism and powers of tissue regeneration. The problem arises when this capacity for regeneration and adaptation finds itself overloaded due to the sum of accumulated physical, emotional and nervous tensions. Is at the moment that pain suddenly starts to be felt that an osteopath can help.
Within these three fundamental principles the osteopath will use different approaches according to each patient. The range of techniques applied by an osteopath is very wide and range from vertebrae or internal organ manipulation to more subtle techniques such as craniosacral techniques.