Osteopathy
Osteopathy assumes
that the body is a self-healing mechanism, that it is wholly
interconnected and interdependent, that form determines function, and
function form. Tissue health requires an adequate and timely supply of
nutrients, and the body must be optimally organized around its central
line of gravity for its best health.
The osteopath’s task,
taking all of this into account, is to remove the restrictions within
and among systems to allow the body to heal itself. The toolbox for
this work includes all of manual therapy; for instance, muscle energy
techniques, strain-counterstrain, myofascial release, high velocity-low
amplitude adjustment, and functional technique. These tools may be
applied to any of the body’s systems: musculoskeletal, visceral,
craniosacral, nervous, or fascial.