What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a form of manual therapy which aims to normalise the structure and function of the entire body and ensure the systems are working harmoniously together. This enables the body to work to its optimum, reduce pain and discomfort and promote the body's own self healing mechanism.
Osteopathy is based on some simple rationales:
- The body is constantly striving towards optimum health. It is the osteopaths job to support this.
- The body functions as an integrated whole. Any change to one part has the potential to influence all other parts.
- Structure is intimately related to function. If the body is in good mechanical order then optimum functional health will follow.
Osteopathy is a holistic form of treatment that strives to restore the body, as a whole, back to its original balanced state. By doing this we can:
- Relieve pain and discomfort
- Prevent injury
- Support and aid recovery after an injury
- Improve performance
How I Treat
Osteopathy aims to work with the body rather than against it. Rather than working only on the superficial musculoskeletal system at the site of discomfort we work with the whole body to encourage and allow it to change on a fundamental level. This creates a more permanent change in the body's natural posture which improves the health and balance of the entire body.
As an osteopath I will first assess the horse standing and moving. I will be looking for any imbalances and muscle tension patterns in the musculoskeletal system and biomechanics of the body whilst the horse is standing as well as moving. These imbalances could be anywhere in the body, not just where the owner or rider has noticed them.
I then use gentle manipulations to correct these imbalances as well as to correct any compensations to bring the entire body to a more balanced state. By correcting these imbalances we can reduce discomfort in the horse, improve straightness and quality of movement thereby reducing the risk of injury, and improve circulation and drainage to an area thereby improving recovery from injury.