Osteopathy is a primary healthcare system, which can be used independently or in conjunction with other medical practices.

It is suitable for most people and all ages and can help to alleviate a wide range of conditions.  It is a common misconception that osteopathy ‘just does backs’!

Primarily osteopathy is concerned with the structural integrity of the musculo-skeletal system and how this affects and is affected by the internal organs.

If the structure is balanced, then like a well tuned engine, it functions with minimal wear and tear and uses its energy efficiently.  However, as clever as the body is in its ability to adapt, the stresses and strains of daily life can sometimes upset this balance.  Physical strains (injury, poor posture, lack of exercise, repetitive actions), emotional stresses (work and home) and chemical imbalance (poor diet, drugs, pollutants) can lead to a wide range of symptoms that may express themselves through the musculo-skeletal system or be affected by treatment to it.

Another important principle of osteopathy is that the body has its own self-healing mechanisms - its own ‘medicine chest’.  The role of the osteopath therefore is to normalise the musculo-skeletal system, mainly by working on the muscles and joints, in order to improve circulation and nerve communication between all the systems of the body and thus allow these mechanisms to bring the body back to health.

HISTORY

Osteopathy was founded in America in 1874 by Andrew Taylor Still (1828-1917) and was brought to Great Britain in the early 1900s.

Britain’s first school, the British School of Osteopathy, was opened in London in 1917 by John Martin Littlejohn, a student of Stills.

For a more detailed history click here