What is osteopathy?
Osteopathy was developed over a century ago by the American doctor Andrew T. Still (1828-1917).
He combined his medical knowledge with his own, new insights.
One of those insights was that he was convinced that all body tissues should show a certain degree of mobility.
Not only should a structure be able to move itself, the so-called inherent motility, but structures should also be able to move, be mobile in relation to other structures.
Loss of this mobility has a detrimental effect on the functioning of that tissue and thus on health.
Dr Still developed a way of using his hands to detect tissues with reduced mobility in the body.
He used specific techniques to restore mobility in order to have an optimising and healing effect on the body.
The actions stimulate the self-healing capacity of the body.
With which complaints can I consult an osteopath?
Because the osteopath is trained to do research in the various systems of the body, you can visit the osteopath with various complaints.
Osteopathy is not only suitable for adults because of the mild manual techniques that are used.
Especially good results are seen in the treatment of babies and children.
Symptoms in adults and elderly:
- (chronic) muscle and joint complaints of the back, neck and extremities
- pelvic pain also during and after pregnancy
- Complaints after trauma (falls, sports injuries, whiplash, etc.)
- Headache complaints (migraine, tension headache, (chronic) sinusitis, etc.)
- posture-related complaints
- nerve blocks
- dizziness
- facial pain and jaw joint pain
- stomach problems (heartburn, stomach ache, nausea)
- intestinal problems (constipation and diarrhoea)
- menstrual complaints
- stress complaints
- concentration problems
- post-operative complaints such as scarring and adhesions
- recovery after rehabilitation
Symptoms in babies and children:
- irregular or deformed skull
- preferred position of the head
- crying and restless behaviour
- Motor deficits (crawling and walking)
- complaints after a fall
- chronic earaches,
- throat and nose complaints
- sleep disorders
- headache, abdominal pain (bowel problems, constipation, stomach complaints)
- swallowing problems
If your complaint is not listed here, please feel free to contact me.
For an overview of osteopathic indications you can also look here.
How does osteopathy work?
An osteopath examines the body for mobility from top to bottom.
All tissues (skin, muscles, bones, organs, nerves, blood vessels, fascia, ligaments, capsules, etc.) must be able to move in order to function optimally.
When a blockage is present (adhesions, scar tissue, inflammations, mechanical blockage, hormonal blockage, emotional blockage etc.) it will eventually lead to pathology, complaints.
The osteopath calls this blockage a dysfunction.
Osteopathy is based on the fact that the human body must be in a dynamic balance in order to function optimally.
For this purpose the body is divided into 3 interdependent systems:
1. the parietal system
the musculoskeletal system (bones, muscles, joints)
2. the visceral system
the organs, including blood vessels, metabolic system, lymphatic system, hormonal system
3. the cranio-sacral system
the skull, spinal column, nervous system and cerebrospinal fluid circulation, emotional system
These 3 systems work together and have a mutual relationship via enveloping membranes (fascia).
Because of this, an osteopath may treat a complaint in a different place than where the pain is located.
The place of pain is therefore not always the place where the cause of the complaint is located but often a consequence of the cause of the complaint.
For example, intestinal complaints can lead to back complaints, neck complaints, headache complaints, but also to complaints in the lower extremity.
What is the working method of the osteopath?
Before your 1st visit, you will be asked to complete a (digital) questionnaire.
This will be discussed during the interview.
Questions will be asked about your complaints, your general health and medical history.
Questions will also be asked about any medication you are taking, (medical) examinations that have taken place, any past treatments, etc.
By means of a safety examination, the osteopath then determines whether there is an osteopathic indication for further examination and treatment or whether further medical examination is required, for example by a doctor.
During the osteopathic examination, the body is examined for mobility and disorders/dysfunctions of the different structures.
These examinations are performed manually (with the hands).
After the examination, a diagnosis is made together with the data from the interview.
The treatment of the diagnosis is then carried out through various mobilising and manipulative techniques in order to optimise the mobility of the structures.
The choice of techniques depends on the patient and the phase (status) of the complaints with which a patient appears.
The treatment is tailored to the patient and effective.
After this, the osteopath will discuss the follow-up with you.
The 1st visit will last 45-60 minutes.
The duration of the follow-up treatments depends on the status of the complaints and how long the complaints have been present.
If no results have been achieved after 4 treatments, an alternative will be sought together with you.
Information films on osteopathy
Below you will find videos explaining osteopathy in general and showing what an examination looks like.