Structure and function
Health is present in the body when all structures are moving and all forces are balanced, therefore disease can naturally occur in a body which is restricted in movement.
If the parts do not function well together in any machine, those parts can wear abnormally or fail altogether. This is the same with the human body. The architecture of the human body and all the natural world exists the way it does because it fulfills a specific function.
Structure determines function and function determines structure. Health emerges when structure and function are perfectly expressed. You could consider an osteopath to be a “body mechanic”.
The interrelation of each organ system with another
The systems of the body organize into a unified continuous whole.
No single part exists independent of the whole. When even a small part of the body undergoes dysfunction, the entire organism is affected.
The site of a previous surgery or serious infection can lay down scar tissue that pulls throughout the body, inhibiting the function of other areas of the body.
The body heals itself
There is, within each of us, a healing mechanism that could be thought of as a restorative force or an intelligence. This force is within every cell and it keeps the body well. When a state of dysfunction arises, this healing force acts to restore functional balance and harmony. In medicine we call this force homeostasis.
Osteopathy recognizes the body’s ability to heal and seeks to achieve the most optimum function.
The rule of the artery is supreme
When blood and lymphatic fluids flow freely, the tissues of the body can perform their physiological functions without interruption.
With the occurrence of trauma (physical or emotional), the tissues can contract, twist and compress disrupting the flow of fluids. Areas of poor circulation can result from this and are considered to be a significant contributor to the onset of disease within these cells.
Osteopathic manipulation restores freedom in the tissues, normalizes fluid flow and thus healthy physiologic function (healing) follows as a result.