Osteopathy is a field of alternative medicine. In contrast to conventional medicine, the osteopath does not only focus on the individual symptoms of the disease. For him, the whole person with his personality and his past history plays a significant role. A good osteopath is able to mobilize the patient’s self-healing powers.
What is an osteopath?
A 2014 study attempted to prove that osteopathy can be helpful for back pain. It concluded that osteopathic treatments not only effectively reduce back pain, but also improve physical abilities. Many who have lost faith in conventional medicine are turning to alternative medicine practitioners such as an osteopath, for whom the focus is on the whole person and not just individual symptoms of illness. Through his trained hands alone, the osteopath uncovers disorders and blockages within the organism that can be resolved through specific, gentle osteopathic techniques. Interested persons can now learn the profession of osteopath through a demanding, five-year full course of study followed by an internship. The focus of this training is primarily on comprehensive anatomical knowledge, osteopathic diagnostics and learning osteopathic therapy methods. The future osteopath becomes familiar with different areas. He will be made aware of the connection between the nervous and fluid systems, the importance of the internal organs in connection with the whole organism and the structures of the musculoskeletal system. Everything is interrelated, everything must flow smoothly for a person to be healthy. A good osteopath awakens the patient’s self-healing powers, he removes the disturbing blockages.
Treatments and therapies
Since the osteopath sees the whole person before him, not only the skeleton, the muscular and ligamentous apparatus are in focus. No, in osteopathy, the interaction with the blood and lymphatic fluids as well as the function of the entire nervous system is equally important. This means that the whole tissue, all body cells are connected with each other. Disorders and blockages within one part of the organism have an equal effect on other organs. Therefore, the osteopath feels responsible for all dysfunctions of the body. Osteopaths are particularly successful in treating chronic pain of the musculoskeletal system, for example, shoulder-arm syndrome, so-called tennis elbow, knee pain and posture problems. But the osteopath also helps with chronic headaches and tinnitus, migraines and chronic vertigo. Even an irritable bladder and an irritable bowel can be treated by the techniques of osteopathy. Visceral osteopathy is also helpful for chronic digestive problems, menstrual cramps, asthma and functional heart disease, and also for poorly healing wounds. The prerequisite is the mobilization of the self-healing powers. However, a responsible osteopath refers people suffering from inflammatory diseases, severe acute diseases such as a stroke, and patients with cancer to specialists in conventional medicine.
Diagnostic and examination methods
Osteopathy in the context of knee joint osteoarthritis. Click to enlarge. When a patient visits an osteopathic practice, he does not have to put himself in the hands of technical equipment. The osteopath first takes a very detailed medical history. This means that the patient is not only asked about his previous illnesses, but he should also inform the therapist about significant stages in his life. Here, mental disorders may have manifested themselves, which are manifested by physical illnesses. The osteopath is therefore considered not only a medical doctor, but also a psychotherapist. After the anamnesis, a thorough examination takes place. The osteopath carefully palpates the entire body. He examines the tissues, the bone structure as well as the muscles and tendons. Since no electrocardiogram, X-ray or ultrasound equipment is used in osteopathy, the osteopath relies solely on his hands. Through this sensitive examination method, he senses mobility and functional disorders in need of treatment, which are also eliminated manually. The osteopath removes blockages, eliminates physical and psychological tensions and activates the patient’s self-healing powers.
What should the patient pay attention to?
The fact that the diagnostic and therapeutic methods of an osteopath are quite successful is proven by the assumption of costs of treatment not only by private health insurance, but now also to a certain extent by statutory health insurance. In order for the patient to choose a capable osteopath, he should make sure that the osteopath has completed a qualified training of many years. However, since the profession of osteopath is not yet protected, the interested patient unfortunately often falls for black sheep. The osteopath, however, who has joined the Federal Working Group Osteopathy (BAO), proves a comprehensive training and a corresponding examination.
