What is Osteopathy?

Osteopathy is a manual treatment method aimed at diagnosing and treating many functional disorders. It is also useful in preventive therapy. It is a philosophical and therapeutic concept, taking the individual in their entirety.

Any loss of joint, muscular, ligamentous, or visceral mobility can cause an imbalance in the state of health. Osteopathy is based on the body's ability to self-balance and on a deep knowledge of anatomy and physiology.

Why consult an Osteopath?

In support and prevention

• Support during pregnancy and postpartum
• Support following surgical interventions
• Support for orthodontic treatments
• Support for orthopedic treatments in childhood and adolescence (clubfoot, congenital torticollis, scoliosis, kyphosis)

In treatment and prevention

• Osteoarticular disorders: neck pain, torticollis, low back pain, lumbago, intercostal pain, neuralgia, sprains, tendinitis, mechanical headaches, etc.
• Visceral disorders: digestive (stomach aches, constipation, diarrhea…), ENT and respiratory (prevention of sinusitis, recurrent otitis, functional vertigo…), cardiovascular (idiopathic palpitations, of non-medical origin), urinary (recurrent urinary infections without bacterial cause, non-functional prostate problems) and genital (menstrual pain and all types of gynecological disorders).
• Neurovegetative system disorders (hyperactivity, sleep disorders, certain digestive disorders, headaches, tension, anxiety, stress)
• Following physical shocks (falls, car accidents or public accidents, sports accidents…)
• Somato-emotional support, following difficult life periods.

Principles of Osteopathy

The principles were stated by its founder, Andrew Still Taylor in the 19th century:

The body is a whole: Care is provided in the entirety of the body. All structures communicate with each other, therefore interact, and adapt according to external demands. For example, a shock to the knee can cause pain in the ankle or the lumbar region, without any discomfort or pain present in the knee itself.

The structure governs the function and vice versa : Indeed, the structure is roughly the "anatomy," the "framework," and the function is the role of each of the elements in the body. To illustrate this point, the muscle is the structure and its contraction is the function of it. If the structure is altered, it fulfills its function less well. Conversely, the altered function can block or impact the structure.

Therefore, if a muscle is altered, it will fulfill its contraction capabilities less well. In the opposite case, a muscle contracted excessively over the long term damages the structure of the muscle itself, preventing good blood circulation.

Self-healing : "The body is the pharmacy of God" quote by Still, in other words, the body has everything it needs to heal itself without external chemical or other intervention. The osteopath helps the patient to self-heal by activating the patient's self-healing capacities.

The absolute artery : If the blood circulates well, as well as all the fluids present in the body, all tissues have what they need to stay healthy.