| Osteopathy
is a manual therapy which treats pain and dysfunction occurring
in the joints, muscles, ligaments, and nerves of the body. It
is very holistic in its approach, so that in addition to treating
the area of pain, other poorly functioning parts of the body
– which may be contributing to the problem, or preventing
its resolution – are also addressed. Simple
anatomy...
The bones that make up the axial skeleton
(around the central axis - spine, ribs, and skull) and the
appendicular skeleton (bones of the upper and lower limbs)
are held together by joint capsules and ligaments. Muscles
act on joints to effect movement, as instructed by impulses
passed to the muscles via nerves. By analysing posture and
movement, and using a highly developed sense of touch, called
palpation, the osteopath ascertains which of these structures
- joint, ligament, muscle, or nerve – are causing or
contributing to the pain and/or strain suffered by the patient.
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