Osteopathy
Osteopathy is a manual approach that seeks to eliminate the causes of pain and discomfort in the human body. Using his or her hands, the osteopath identifies structures that have lost mobility or vitality, and which are detrimental to the patient's comfort or health. Through generally gentle mobilization of musculoskeletal, visceral and cranial structures, osteopathy aims to re-establish optimal biodynamic functioning, enabling the body to express its "Health" potential.
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The osteopath will be consulted as much for muscular, ligamentary and joint pain as for digestive, respiratory, circulatory or immune disorders, right through to cranial disorders, vertigo, dizziness, migraines, TMJ (jaw) pain, tinnitus, ear infections, anxiety, perinatal follow-up, etc.
​There is a relationship between problems affecting the internal organs (referred to as visceral disorders) and issues related to muscles, bones, and joints (known as musculoskeletal disorders). This connection is often explored in the field of visceral osteopathy, which seeks to understand how the functioning of internal organs can influence the musculoskeletal system. Here's how this relationship works:
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Somatic-Visceral Reflex
The nerves and blood vessels that innervate the internal organs are closely linked to those that innervate muscles, bones, and joints. As a result, problems in the internal organs can sometimes lead to musculoskeletal responses, and vice versa. For instance, an issue in an internal organ, such as inflammation or restricted movement, can cause muscular or joint pain in the surrounding area.
Muscular Compensation
When an internal organ isn't functioning properly due to restrictions, inflammation, or dysfunction, the body can adapt by altering its posture or biomechanics. This can result in overuse or excessive tension in the surrounding muscles, which can eventually lead to musculoskeletal problems such as pain, muscle spasms, or postural imbalances.
Pain Referrals
Internal organs and muscles share common nerve networks. Sometimes, pain originating from an internal organ can be perceived as musculoskeletal pain. We can think of the extreme case of pain to the left arm that occurs during an heart attack. This can complicate the diagnosis of the source of the pain, as the perceived pain may seem to be of muscular or joint origin when it is actually visceral.
Visceral osteopathy aims to assess and address these interactions between the internal organs and musculoskeletal structures. Osteopaths use manual techniques to release visceral restrictions, improve the mobility of internal organs, and promote balance between the systems. This can relieve musculoskeletal pain by addressing the underlying cause.
Craniosacral
Derived from osteopathy, Biodynamic Craniosacral (BDC) is a practice in which the therapist's art is to offer conscious presence, working with the Breath of Life, Primary Breathing and the fundamental forces that support the body's and nervous system's self-healing processes to enable reorganization and realignment towards inherent health. The approach is inspired by Franklin Sills and other researchers and is recognized by BCTA/NA (North America and Canada), Ritma & ANN.
Biodynamic Craniosacral is a gentle therapeutic approach that uses touch to mobilize the body's natural healing potential. The emphasis is on the practitioner's "presence" in a state of listening, receptivity and non-doing, which helps the patient's life forces to unfold anew.
