Osteopathy is a philosophical and therapeutic concept. Its purpose is to diagnose and treat manually mobility restrictions of the structures composing the human body, leading to functional disorders. Osteopathy consider the whole person, based on a thorough knowledge of anatomy and physiology.
Osteopathy is based on several principles, here are a few:
– The body is a whole : The human body is composed of multiple elements connected together in many ways. When we divide the body into “legs”, “torso”, “trunk”, “abdomen”, “arm”, “head”, etc.. it does not really correspond to reality in the body because everything is “continuity ” and none of these parties can not work alone! The body taken as a whole is more than the sum of its parts. All these structures communicate. If you cut the body into parts, we can not understand how its various elements interact, influence and disrupt. Therefore the osteopath, in his diagnosis and his treatment will always take into account the whole body regardless of the reason for consultation.
– The interrelationship between structure and function: The body structure is its constitution and how the elements are arranged between them. The function is the role of each element as a whole. (Some examples, structure: lung, function: oxygenation of the blood; structure: muscle, function: contraction.) If the structure is altered, it fulfills its function less well. Faced with such a problem, you can either restore the structure: address the cause, or only counter the effects of the problem. Between these two solutions, the osteopath chooses to treat the structures concerned to improve their function. For example, if a compressed nerve causes pain, osteopath, instead of giving treatment against pain, will try to decrease the compression on the nerve. Thus, the pain will fade.
– Self-healing : The body can produce all the substances necessary for health. For this reason, rather than bringing foreign products that may have side effects, the osteopath stimulates the capacity for self-healing. The osteopath has no power to heal his patient, but it can help him to heal itself.
Osteopathy is effective on functional disorders, or minors organic disorders. By cons, it does not “fix” a structure deteriorated. Osteopathy does not cure heart attack, fractures, infections, cancer or AIDS … but it can accompany, assist, even patients following medical treatment heavy. We can not treat everything with osteopathy, but we can treat almost everyone! The cons-indications are few and are common sense: fracture or recent head injury, acute illness etc. Furthermore there is no criterion of age, sex, weight or size for osteopathy. Osteopathy is also displayed outside the period of disorder, it is prevention. Disease, pain, occur when the capacity for self-healing of the body are exhausted. If we attack the problem at the base, we can prevent minor problems from becoming serious problems, or irreversible. Furthermore it is often difficult to treat someone who suffers a lot, better not wait too long.
Here are some examples and reasons to go see an osteopath:
– back pain
– head aches
– pain during pregnancy
– sleep disorders
– digestive disorders
– accompaniment of pregnancy and childbirth sequelae
– accompaniment of athlete
– joint pain
– sequelae of surgical procedures and painful scars
– various problems of the newborn and infant
– painful menstruation
– and many others…
It seems to me particularly important to consult after the birth for the newborn and after the delivery for the mother. Pregnancy and childbirth are traumatic for the mother but also for the baby, even when everything went well. It is very rare that the mother and the baby come for almost nothing. This is the reason why I recommend to systematically come to consult after a birth. For the baby, the ideal is to come once as soon as possible after birth and a second time about 1 month after the delivery. If there was only one consultation, it would be at one-month. For the mother it is not in a hurry. Try to come before the start of pelvic floor rehabilitation.
It is also interesting to come and consult after a car accident for example or any trauma having caused a whiplash, after a surgery to work the scar or after falling strongly on the tailbone or on the head.
My specialties are pediatric, gynecological and perinatal osteopathy but I receive all kinds of patients, including many top athletes.
Pediatric osteopathy focuses on newborns, infants and children. The osteopath can work on a baby from birth. Of course, the techniques used are particularly gentle and adapted to newborns. The most common reasons to consult are sleeping problems, colics, skull deformities, sucking difficulties, and congenital torticollis. These problems may be due to blockages and tensions resulting from the intrauterine position or delivery. The deformation of the skull for example is often linked to the fact that the baby has trouble turning his head correctly to one side, which results in prolonged pressions always on the same part of his skull, still very malleable.
Gynecological osteopathy is concerned with the gynecological sphere of women. The two main reasons to consult are menstrual pain and fertility problems. Contrary to what many women think, it is not normal to suffer during your period. These pains are usually due to visceral tensions in the pelvis. A treatment is usually enough to greatly reduce the pain or to make them disappear. Osteopathy is also very effective against the pain related to endometriosis.
Perinatal osteopathy is concerned with everything related to pregnancy, childbirth and the after-effects of pregnancy. It is possible to consult at any time of pregnancy. For example, you can visit the osteopath to relieve pain or to prepare for delivery. Releasing joint blockages in the pelvis, tailbone, or uterine or perineal strains can make delivery easier, quicker, and minimize the risk of having to use forceps or to have a caesarean section, for example. It is also possible to help the baby to turn if the he is still breech at the end of pregnancy or to start work if the date of the term is exceeded. After birth, the osteopath can help recover from the trauma of pregnancy and childbirth. It is often necessary to help the viscera to get back their place, to help the bones and joints to return to normal function, to relax the tension of the episiotomy or caesarean scars, etc. In addition, the osteopath will help you with tips and exercises to find an effective abdominal belt and perineum.
The session begins with an examination, an anamnesis. During this phase, the osteopath will look at the reason for consultation, but also to history, even very old. In short, everything that may relate to the health of his patient.
Then the osteopath establish a diagnosis. It is an “osteopathic” diagnosis and not a “medical” diagnosis. It is based on anamnesis, observation, and especially on tests of mobility and palpatory tests.
Finally comes the time of treatment. It is not painful and involves again the whole body. The osteopath will also give some advice for than the treatment is more effective and to ensure that the patient don’t “break” the work done by its practitioners.
The organization of the body was a little whack, it can appear transiently some discomfort, as long as the body recreates his balance, such as fatigue, aches, or a worsening of symptoms. These reactions are related to process of elimination, they rarely last more than 2 to 5 days. It takes at least a week so that the body incorporates all changes. The number of visits and their frequency will depend on the type of problem and each patient but usually, 1 to 3 sessions are enough. Do not wait to be completely blocked to consult, opt for one to two sessions a year in prevention.
Yes. If possible, come with the reports of your exams as well as these in print or on USB key. Unfortunately, the office does not have any DVD player.
Your exams can provide valuable information to your osteopath. They are a “tool” in addition to that make the best diagnosis possible. Moreover, if X-rays revealed no specific pathology, they will allow the practitioner to relieve some doubts that he can safely use all his tests and techniques. If however they show some signs of disease, the osteopath will then treat you, but by taking certain precautions to ensure maximum safety.
Consultations are in their underwear. The osteopath needs to see your skin because it contains important information for the practitioner to make the best diagnosis possible. More importantly, the osteopath needs to touch your skin without interference of the tissue. The osteopath sees, feels and thinks with his hands, if they are embarrassed by your clothing, it is the quality of diagnosis and the treatment that will be altered.
Osteopathic care are not reimbursed by social security in Japan. In contrast, most mutual and private insurance reimbursement for these fees. The height and number of available refunds each year vary from insurance. It is best to check with your health insurance before the first consultation. At the end of the session, a certificate will be given in order to get a refund. It is entirely written in Japanese.
Each type of technique is a “tool” (cranio-sacral techniques, visceral techniques, trusts, muscle energy techniques etc …). An osteopath must master each of these tools in order to choose the one that best fits both the patient, the “problem ” to treat, but also the timing and the mood of his patient.