What is osteopathy and what exactly can an osteopath do for you?
Osteopathy is a combination of the Greek words ostheon (tissue) and pathos (feeling). The osteopath looks for loss of movement in the body through examination with the hands and attempts to resolve these restrictions.
Osteopathy examines and treats three major body systems that are closely connected and function interdependently. First, there is the musculoskeletal system, which includes all bones, joints, capsules, ligaments, muscles, and fascial layers.
The second body system is the visceral system. This includes the organs along with the blood vessels and the lymphatic system. Organs also move. Movement is essential for every organ. The kidneys, for example, move about 600 meters per day. Adhesions caused by surgeries, accidents, circulatory disorders, or inflammation can promote loss of movement, which can lead to various complaints, both at the site of the organ and elsewhere.
The third system is the craniosacral system, also known as the skull-sacrum system. This refers to the skull, spinal column, nervous system, and cerebrospinal fluid circulation. This is a highly dynamic moving whole that, among other things, ensures that the cerebrospinal fluid circulates throughout the entire central nervous system. This circulation provides proper nourishment and protection for the nervous system.
The mobility of the skull and spinal column is also important for maintaining the elasticity of the meninges.
Causes of movement loss in this craniosacral system can be of various kinds;
– mechanical traumas such as a difficult birth or a concussion
– bacterial and viral infections
– intoxications by chemical substances
– emotional issues
Disturbances in the craniosacral system can lead to a wide range of complaints, such as loss of concentration, forgetfulness, headaches, developmental disorders in children, colicky babies, hormonal imbalances such as irregular cycles, menopausal complaints or depression, tingling and/or pain in the legs or arms.
An interaction exists between all three systems thanks to a network of surrounding and connecting connective tissue, which contains blood, lymph, and cerebrospinal fluid. These fluids should be able to flow freely.
Under normal circumstances, the body is capable of resolving various disturbances itself; the so-called homeostatic effect, a natural process. If the balance between the moving parts in the body, such as joints, organs, blood vessels, and nerves, is disturbed, this has a negative influence on the self-regulating capacity of our body: the person becomes ill or develops complaints. You can consult an osteopath to restore this balance.
Unlike, for example, a physiotherapist, manual therapist, or chiropractor, the osteopath does not look exclusively at the musculoskeletal system, but at the whole body. It is not a symptom-oriented therapy; instead, the search is for the cause behind the development of complaints. A characteristic of the body is that the cause usually lies in a completely different place than where the complaints are felt. For example: someone has pain in the left shoulder. During the examination, the osteopath finds a mobility problem in the stomach. By normalizing the mobility of the surrounding supporting tissue of the stomach, the shoulder complaints disappear. There does not necessarily have to be any mention of stomach complaints yet. The osteopath has addressed the complaint, but via the causative structure.
Another example concerns colicky babies. This crying can be caused by birth trauma, which slightly twists the base of the skull and presses against a nerve. Various complaints can result, such as excessive crying, frequent spitting up, poor sucking response, intestinal cramps, etc. These functional complaints of the newborn can be treated completely safely through osteopathy.
How do I know if an osteopath is reliable?
Osteopathy is a protected profession, but osteopath is not a protected title: anyone may call themselves an osteopath. A good osteopath is usually affiliated with the Dutch Association for Osteopathy (N.V.O.) and is registered with the Netherlands Register for Osteopathy (N.R.O.). Registered osteopaths have met all training and examination requirements and are regularly tested on these. Graduated osteopaths carry the title D.O.-M.R.O. D.O. stands for “Diploma in Osteopathy,” and M.R.O. for “Member of the Register of Osteopathy,” the English name for a member of the N.R.O.
Most osteopaths registered in the Netherlands are graduated physiotherapists who have completed a five- to six-year training program to become an osteopath. In England, France, and America, there are many universities where osteopathy is taught. In the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium, there are now also training programs.
What kind of complaints can you take to an osteopath?
Osteopathy can help with a wide range of complaints, such as neck, back, and joint complaints, stomach and intestinal disorders, but also with chronic sinusitis, chronic ear infections in children and adults, chronic fatigue, headaches, facial pain, colicky babies…
This list is by no means exhaustive. In general, a visit to the osteopath can be particularly useful for complaints about which conventional medicine says: “you will have to learn to live with it.”
That is not to say that the osteopath can actually cure all complaints. However, osteopathy can sometimes amaze the patient with the human body’s capacity for recovery, regardless of the patient’s age and the duration of the complaint.
Is the treatment by an osteopath covered by my insurance?
The vast majority of health insurers reimburse the treatment of a D.O. osteopath
(registered with the N.R.O.) in whole or in part. You can inquire with your insurance provider or check your policy. The N.V.O. website, www.osteopathie.nl, also contains extensive information about osteopathy in general and about reimbursements from health insurers.
An osteopath is directly accessible, and you do not need a referral from a GP.
Article about Osteopathy, Veldhovens Weekblad, 2006, Osteopathy
