Osteopathy

What is Osteopathy?

Osteopathy is a patient-centred treatment that focuses on the body's innate ability to heal itself. It is an approach to the human body based on the interrelated anatomy and physiology of the body's systems.
Osteopathy uses a manual therapy that is based on a highly developed sense of touch to stimulate the body's natural self-regulating and self-healing capabilities, by locating and correcting the root cause of the disorder.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes Osteopathy as a distinct manual therapy that differs from other health care professions.

Manual Osteopathy is based on 4 basic principles:

Each structure in the body supports the body's functions. If a structure is damaged, out of place or otherwise not working properly, the body will not function at its best.
The natural flow of the body's fluids - lymphatic, vascular, and neurological - must be preserved and maintained.
The human body is the sum of its parts. Its physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and cognitive systems don't work independently, they work in harmony.
When the body has no restrictions, it has the inherent ability to heal itself.

Osteopathy recognizes that a person is an integrated whole. When all the body's components are in balance, a person is complete and can achieve optimal health.

The History of Osteopathy

Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, an American physician, began deveoping the philosophy, the methodology and the application of osteopathy in 1874. He found that the body's inherent ability to recove from illness and injury was greatly improved with osteopathy. His principles of treatment were based on drugless manual techniques. In the many years since, Osteopaths and Osteopathic students have been continuing research into the mechanisms of manual Osteopathy.

Osteopathic Education in Ontario

To attain the Diploma in Osteopathic Manual Practice (DOMP) credentials in Ontario, osteopathic manual practitioners must complete a five year part-time program and a thesis in the two years following their comprehensive final exams. The curriculum of this program must also meet the World Osteopathic Health Organization (WOHO) standards.
Rishi is a graduate of the Canadian College of Osteopathy (CCO) and is currently in his second year of the thesis process, researching the historical perspective of osteopathic management of mental illness.

Who benefits from Osteopathy?

People with:
Acute and Chronic back, neck, and pelvic pain
Whiplash
Headaches
TMJ / jaw problems
Soft tissue / Musculoskeletal injuries
Joint dysfunction and arthritic pain
Nerve pain
Difficult digestion, acid reflux, constipation
Pregnancy discomfort, labour preparation and post-natal care
As well as
Newborns, Infants, and Toddler
Individuals with physical/mental challenges


In Ontario osteopathic manual practice is different from an osteopathic physician. An osteopathic physican is trained in a US medical school and practices medicine.