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The practice of osteopathic medicine began in the United States in 1874. The term "osteopathy" was coined by Andrew Taylor Still, M.D., an allopathically-trained physician who was born in 1828 in Virginia. Still was a free state leader who lived near Baldwin City, Kansas at the time of the American Civil War, and it was here he developed the practice of osteopathy.
Still was trained by apprenticeship, as were most physicians of the day, and was employed as an army doctor during the American Civil War in the U.S. Army. The horrors of battlefield injury and the subsequent death of his wife and several children from infectious diseases left him totally disillusioned with the traditional practice of medicine. Still perceived the medical practices of his day to be ineffective, even barbaric. Troubled by what he saw as problems in the medical profession, Still founded osteopathic practice. Using an alternative philosophical approach, he opposed the use of drugs and surgery as remedial agents, reserving their use for such cases as being the cure for the condition, such as an antidote for a poison or amputation for gangrene. He saw the human body as being capable of curing itself, and the duty of the physician to remove any impediments to the healthy function of each person. He promoted healthy lifestyle, nutrition, abstinence from alcohol and drugs, and used primarily manipulative techniques to improve physiological function.
Still named his new school of medicine "osteopathy", reasoning that "the bone, osteon, was the starting point from which [he] was to ascertain the cause of pathological conditions." The object of osteopathy was to "improve upon the present systems of surgery, midwifery, and the treatment of general diseases."Its scientific foundation was the discipline of anatomy. Its philosophy was based on the understanding of the integration between body, mind and spirit, the interrelatedness of structure and function, and the ability of the body to heal itself when mechanically sound. Osteopathic treatment must be a rational application of these principles in comprehensive patient care with a focus on the neuromusculoskeletal system as an integral part of health and disease processes. Over time he and his students and faculty developed a complete medical school curriculum which included a series of specialized physical treatments, now called Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT).
Osteopathic principles
These are the eight major principles of osteopathy and are widely accepted throughout the osteopathic community.
1. The body is a unit.
2. Structure and function are reciprocally inter-related.
3. The body possesses self-regulatory mechanisms.
4. The body has the inherent capacity to defend and repair itself.
5. When the normal adaptability is disrupted, or when environmental changes overcome the body’s capacity for self maintenance, disease may ensue.
6. The movement of body fluids is essential to the maintenance of health.
7. The nerves play a crucial part in controlling the fluids of the body.
8. There are somatic components to disease that are not only manifestations of disease, but also are factors that contribute to maintenance of the disease state.
These principles are not held by osteopathic physicians to be empirical laws, nor contradictions to orthodox medical principles; they are thought to be the underpinnings of the osteopathic philosophy on health and disease.
Common Treatment Techniques
Articulation
If a patient has arthritis or trouble moving his or her wrist, for example, an osteopath will apply gentle force to the joint by moving the hand back and forth several times. This increases the joint's range and improves its quality of motion.
Balanced Ligamentous Tension (BLT)
When deploying BLT, osteopaths use their hands to evaluate soft tissue. If the ligaments show tension, the osteopath will massage the tissue until it slowly returns to its normal position.
Counterstrain
Counterstrain, the opposite of stretching, is a very gentle technique especially useful for arthritics with tender points. The osteopath arranges a patient's body in a position of comfort for 90 seconds and then returns it to a neutral pose. This will eliminate tenderness.
High Velocity (Low Amplitude) Thrust (HVT)
The high velocity thrust is designed to treat motion loss and correct misalignment, especially in the spine. The osteopath slowly moves a patient's restricted joint in the direction of resistance, then quickly thrusts it beyond its range of motion. This often results in a "popping" sound. The patient should feel an immediate increase in range and freedom of motion.
Myofascial Release
Every organ in the body is covered by connective tissue, called fascia. Poor posture, injury, illness or emotional stress can restrict the fascia and cause pain and discomfort. Osteopaths use myofascial release—stretching fascia with their hands—to relieve discomfort.
Muscle Energy Technique (MET)
Muscle energy technique is soft tissue manipulation; it encourages muscles to relax more quickly. The therapist uses massage to manually manipulate muscles and free mobility or relieve trauma.
Osteopathic Manual Medicine (OMM)
OMM is used to restore normal connection within the joints and other structures, eliminating muscular spasms and tensions in ligaments. OMM is especially effective for those experiencing muscle and joint pain and can be applied throughout the musculoskeletal system.
Soft Tissue Technique
Osteopaths most often use soft tissue technique to diagnose conditions such as cancer, acute injury and wounds. The osteopath may use deep pressure to work on connective tissues, massaging the muscle into relaxation. Recommended Book To Read
Osteopathy: Models for Diagnosis, Treatment and Practice (Paperback)
by Jon Parsons
This book is a basic osteopathic concepts, working from first principles underpinned by anatomy and physiology. This book will synthesize and integrate osteopathic models in an easy-to-understand way. Composed of four sections, the first is a discussion of basic principles, the second focusses on models and diagnosis of treatment which is followed by anatomical, neurophysiological and osteopathic considerations. The last section describes clinical case-studies to enable students to put into practice the theories and models which they have learned. |
Osteopathy 