Osteopathy was founded by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still in the late 1800’s after he suffered the devastating loss of three of his children to meningitis. He was spurred to look outside the box of his MD training in search of something else. Out of his discoveries was born Osteopathic Medicine, the first school founded in 1892. The principles and tenets of Osteopathy are still practiced today.

Osteopaths use their hands to “listen” to the tissues and diagnose injury and illness. After a diagnosis is made, he/she chooses from a variety of techniques to treat, working with the energy and vitality of the client to encourage the natural tendency to move toward health. The practitioner may choose a biomechanic method, working with the structure, or a biodynamic method, working with the Whole. Many Osteopathic trained physicians choose to specialize and do not generally use their hands in this manner.

There is a physical body, an emotional body, a mind/mental body, and an energy/spirit body. The integration of these bodies is the Whole. The holistic approach is based on this principle, although there are those that include the emotional body with the mind (mind/body/spirit). I believe the mind is separate from the emotions. Emotions can be felt, processed, and released, staying within the emotional body. This does not mean they are forgotten. The memory is still there. But, emotions can also be stuck in the physical body, part of the mind body as a repetitive thought or behavior pattern, or carried through life within the energy body.

The body has a natural ability to heal, an innate wisdom. The human body is always healing in order to maintain optimum health. Think of a cut or a bruise. The healing processes are activated as soon as the injury occurs. Osteopathy works on the premise of the Whole, affecting change in the body in order to encourage the Whole toward its best health at the time. 

Biomechanics is what used to be called manual or manipulative medicine (adjusting the body). These techniques focus on the physical body and include a variety of possible techniques. Biomechanics uses a force to initiate a correction in the structure, which often leads to a change in the physiology and function in order to stimulate balance so that all systems work together in harmony. Structure and function are interrelated.

Cranial-sacral therapy is another well known technique. This technique was developed by Dr. William Sutherland, one of Dr. Still’s students. This approach focuses on the minute movements of the cranial bones and the innate rhythms within the body. Dr. Sutherland gave these rhythms many different names including, the fluid body, the primary and secondary respiratory mechanisms, the Breath of Life, The Tide, The Health, and others. A simple description is that the practitioner tunes in to the innate rhythms and flows of the body. He/she focuses on the area that most needs addressed and gives a tiny nudge in the direction of health.

Biodynamic Osteopathy in the Cranial Field (Cranial Osteopathy or cranial therapy) was developed by Dr. James Jealous and is based on the discoveries and teachings of Dr. Sutherland. This technique does not require any force. It is a gentle hands on technique in which the practitioner tunes in to the innate rhythms and flows within the body and synchronizes with the active therapeutic force to facilitate the natural tendency of the body to return toward health.