Sunday, April 19, 2020

Why did I choose Osteopathy as a profession?

I came to this work as a patient. A series of medical mishaps shaped me into the committed practitioner I am today. Born with a fetal mal-position followed by one error treatment after another, a botched appendectomy as a teen, and extreme stress levels in corporate Germany from my early 20s well into my 30s. In hindsight, orthopedists and general doctors revealed a key weakness in western medicine by treating symptoms rather than finding the cause. Unable to locate the source of my illnesses, specialists began to think I was a hypochondriac and needed psychiatric help. I refused to give up, but for two years, I struggled to find answers. 

I believed in holistic medicine/modalities because something had to work. I was so sick, my body had allergic reactions/food sensitivities down to the water I drank. My immune system was breaking down and doctors were powerless to stop it, suggesting morphine for pain management. I laid on my couch in poor health, almost paralyzed from musculoskeletal/visceral dysfunction, depleted and near death at age 34. 

Out of options, in 2004 I was "lucky" that my physical therapist went on vacation and referred me to her boss who is an Osteopath from the Netherlands. From this moment I explored Manual Osteopathic Methods very deeply. 3 years later I accepted the help of a Healer from a remote Asian country who saved my life. Recovering and equipped with newly acquired knowledge, but in need of a complete change two years later, I moved to Southern California. 

Today, I am living proof of the regenerative powers within the body. Self-discipline, the will to get well, the courage to choose alternative medicine, and at times, acceptance of little known modalities helped me get in the best shape ever. 

Because I was, and still am, a very complex client/patient myself, I do have an inert understanding of how the different body systems (as well as mind and spirit) work together, most of the time I am the last resort for people after a long journey of trial and error with various therapies and/or therapists and doctors. I also consider myself an eternal student, and continue to have a passion for learning.

What is Osteopathy?

Osteopathy is a manual examination and treatment method of the integrated musculoskeletal, visceral, vascular, neural, lymphatic and craniosacral systems. 

The manual Osteopath examines and treats manually the mobility of all these systems and looks for limitations in mobility that could be linked to the patient’s complaint.

Osteopaths make use of an extensive practical knowledge of anatomy, physiology, neurology and pathology. By treating mobility of the musculoskeletal, the vascular, neurological and fascial system in an integrated and structural way, patients healing capacities increase dramatically.

The principles of Osteopathy are:

-       The body is a unit, and the person represents a combination of body, mind and spirit.
-       The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing and health maintenance.
-       Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.

-       Rational treatment is based on an understanding of these principles: body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function