The American doctor Andrew Taylor Still is considered the founder of the classic Osteopathy . He first used the term in the course of founding his school, which was called “School of Osteopathy” and was founded by him in 1891. The term osteopathy comes from ancient Greek and means “bone disease”. In his conception of osteopathy, Still refers to four essential assumptions that have significantly influenced osteopathic procedures since then:
First: the body is a functional unit
Andrew Taylor Still basically invokes the fact that the body represents a functional unit – this is why osteopathic procedures not only treat the disease or the symptom, but the person as a whole. Pain and discomfort in certain areas of the body can have their causes in a completely different part of the body, as all of its structures and functions are inextricably linked.
Second: the artery plays an essential role
The health of the body is extremely dependent on the circulation of body fluids. In order to adequately supply the tissue with important nutrients, the blood must be able to flow freely. If there are circulatory disorders, it usually doesn’t take long until the structural disorder occurs. For osteopathic therapy this means that the treatment of the nerves and vessels improves their functions and thus stimulates the body’s self-healing powers.
Third, the function determines the body structure and the body structure determines the function
The function of an organ affects its structure and vice versa. This means: if a body structure is faulty, this can mean that the corresponding function no longer works optimally. In addition, an increasing function of the organ also has a positive effect on the growth of the associated structure. So that the body can work optimally, a harmonious interaction of all structures and functions of the body is very important.
Fourth, the body has the ability to regulate itself
Still’s last principle says that the body basically has the property of being able to heal itself holistically. With its procedures, osteopathy only provides assistance in that the self-healing powers are activated and supported by manual techniques. However, so that the body can heal itself, all conditions must be optimal – such as the health of the blood vessels (see principle 2).
The Osteopathy , which follows Still’s basic assumptions, is never aimed only at combating the symptoms, but above all at strengthening the immune system. To do this, anatomical damage, injuries and disorders that have a direct or indirect influence on the entire physiology of the body via a disruption of the blood or nervous system must be eliminated.
The therapeutic procedures of osteopathy, such as the Cranio-Sacral Therapy , the Fascia Therapy or the visceral techniques that can alleviate tension and pain and completely eliminate them in the long term.
