Osteopathic Philosophy?

An Osteopath takes a whole person approach to care and does not just focus on an injured or symptomatic part. Osteopaths look for underlying causes of problems and pain, instead of simply treating your symptoms. They consider your wider physical condition, lifestyle, environment, emotional factors and diet when diagnosing you.

Osteopaths recognise that the body is inherently capable of healing itself and endeavour to encourage and facilitate this process. Your body must constantly fight physical, emotional, chemical and nutritional "stressors" to maintain a state of wellness. They believe in educating you about good health and avoidance of disease.

Osteopathic practitioners place particular emphasis on the musculoskeletal system, which comprises of two-thirds of the body's mass. This is the system that is responsible for the greatest expenditure of energy and which also places the greatest demand on other supportive systems like the cardiovascular or respiratory system. Body health rests on the integrity of relations between the neurological, endocrine and immune system. Pain (structural or otherwise, acute or chronic) is a neurological event that has the potential to affect other systems, whether your immune response, your hormonal balance or your behaviour.

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