Apparently, my friends. Apparently...
Now, before you feel the urge to drive to my home, kick in my front door and wrestle away my keyboard - don't worry. This will be mostly work related. Health and wellness and the like. I can't get into too much trouble with that, right?
I can feel the collective eye roll already.
So, I guess I should start with some introductions, and maybe a word or two on what this whole osteolopaplopaphy thing is anyway.
Osteo - that's bones, right?
Well, my friends, yes, in a way. But that's not the origin of the term 'osteopathy'. It's actually derived from the Greek word 'ostein' meaning 'the structure of life' or 'the structure of living tissue'. Which makes way more sense, given what it is osteopaths actually do. And what is that, you may ask? Well... That's a lot easier to show than to explain. Trust me. This is actually my favourite question to get from patients because my answer is different every time. Which is rather apt considering the nature of osteopathy. And it almost always takes the entire length of the appointment. And that's the short version.
So, osteopathy... well... hmm... okay. So...
....
Okay. Here we go.
Osteopathy is the study of life. And motion. And health. And dysfunction. And how everything in the body is connected to everything else.
Well, that just makes it all super clear, doesn't it?
The idea is that the body is a closed system. You can't change one thing without changing everything else. This is why, if you come see me for a sore neck, I will likely spend some time checking your feet and pelvis to make sure they are aligned properly. But it's not all just about bones and muscles. There are nerves and blood vessels and ligaments and fascia and membranes and organs that can all be causing or contributing to your pain. For example, say three years ago you slipped and fell on some ice and landed on your hip. It bruised and hurt for a few days but then it went away and you stopped thinking about it. Except it didn't go away. Your body adjusted and compensated around the injury, but likely the hip was and is still out of place. Since your iliac bone is connected to your temporal bone (the bone your ear is attached to) via the lateral fascia chains and the resonance between the diaphragms (in this case the pelvic diaphragm and tentorium), over time that iliac bone will pull your temporal bone out of place. This can lead to pinching of the accessory nerve that exits the cranium at the jugular foramen which is located in the suture between the temporal bone and the occipital bone, and innervates the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles, which is how a fall on your hip can lead to chronic neck pain.
Sound complicated? It is. It's also why hammering away at the neck muscles won't fix the problem. It's not until the iliac is addressed and the temporal bones and diaphragms balanced that your neck pain 'magically' goes away. Without me ever having to touch your neck.
Now, that doesn't mean massage won't be a part of the treatment, but the massage portion of the treatment will be a lot more effective once the cause has been addressed.