Core Tenets of Osteopathy
I was taught throughout my Osteopathic Training that one of the PRIMARY TENETS of Osteopathy, and one of Andrew Taylor Still’s most strongly held beliefs, was that the Human Body has the innate capacity to heal itself and that NO external forces were necessary for the body to heal itself and maintain a state of Homeostasis and health. One of the other CORE TENETS of Osteopathy is something that some view as an indisputable law of nature and that is that… Form Follows Function and that the two are locked in an interdependent relationship to each other and that if either was to become dysfunctional for any reason, then by definition, neither could function optimally.
The Philosophy (PHILOSOPHY) of Osteopathy
These beliefs are CORE to the Philosophy of Osteopathy… LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN… THE PHILOSOPHY OF OSTEOPATHY… The human body has the innate capacity to heal itself and if the structure of the human body is true and the system as a whole is in a neutral, devoid of significant strains in the fluid, fascia, muscle, or bone sufficient to alter the structure, then this allows the system to function optimally and the body will be optimally positioned to be able to prevent disease from gaining a foothold in the soma. In the case where illness is able to set in, then the body will be optimally positioned to be able to augment the health in the whole and eradicate the illness.
The PRIMARY RESPIRATORY MECHANISM (Yes…ALL CAPS, BOLD and UNDERLINED – it is THAT important)
This brings us back to the DEFINITION of Osteopathy. I don’t see Osteopathy as a treatment modality or a collection of techniques. I see Osteopathy as a perspective, a PHILOSOPHY that has at it’s CORE the very tightly held beliefs that Form and Function are Invariably Interdependent AND that the Human Body possesses the innate capacity to heal itself, as long as the form is not adversely affecting the function. This is why Andrew Taylor Still, M.D., D.O. named his PHILOSOPHY of medicine, OSTEOPATHY, in honor of the invariably interdependent relationship between the Bony (Osseous) Structure and the Health or Disease State (Pathos) of the Human Body. Osteopaths know this auto-repair, auto-regulatory, self-healing mechanism that exists in each and every living being as the “Primary Respiratory Mechanism”. It is the reconstitution, reinvigoration, and balancing of the symmetry, amplitude, and vitality of this force as it moves through the fluid, fascia, muscles, and bones, that is at the very core of every treatment and is the long term goal of the Osteopath.
Implementation of this PHILOSOPHY
Subsequently, I have a strongly intertwined biophysiological AND mechanical engineering approach to evaluating the severity of dysfunction of both form and function. Forever present in my thought processes is that ever important tenet of Osteopathy that, form follows function and that if there is dysfunction in either, we need to make sure that we scour them both to see which one holds the etiology of the dysfunction.
For example; if I noticed that the tires on my car were wearing unevenly, this would represent a symptom of the existing dysfunction of my car. The Allopathic (MD) provider might recommend that you have your tires re-treaded or even replacing your tires altogether, possibly going so far as to recommend that, this time, you try a different brand of tire. The Osteopath, on the other hand, familiar with the tenet that FORM follows FUNCTION, understands that if there is a problem with the function of your car resulting in the symptom of uneven wear of your tires, that the first thing to do would be to make sure that the FORM is intact and in it’s anatomical neutral, knowing that if the FROM is not maintained, that this could be, and likely is, the etiology of the symptom of uneven tire wear. Most people are amply aware that if they note uneven wear and tear on their tires, that they need to have their car aligned before buying new tires or, they will be right back in the same predicament.
The same could be said for people dealing with the SYMPTOM that is the formation of cracks in the walls, ceilings, or roofs of their houses. If severe enough, the symptoms may include shearing of plumbing or wiring which could be seen as analogous to the impingement of blood flow or even impingement of nerves. The Allopathic ( MD ) provider might make a referral to a drywall contractor ( Orthopedic Surgeon ), a roofer ( Rheumatology ), an electrician ( Neurology ), or even a plumber ( Vascular Surgery ), possibly all four. After consults with all four specialists and resolution or improvement of the symptoms warranting the referrals, how upset will the patient be when all the symptoms return within the next 2-3 years or sooner because the true etiology of the symptoms was never addressed. The Osteopath ( DO ), on the other hand, would evaluate the symptoms with the tenet of FORM follows FUNCTION, ever-present in their thought process, and check to see if the structure was actually intact and in a neutral state. Upon evaluation of the FORM, the Osteopath, in an attempt to address the issues of dysfunction discovered within the form, would most likely make a referral to a structural engineer who would directly address the true etiology of the complaints, shoring up the foundation of the house, bringing the structure back to square and taking measures to prevent recurrence providing the homeowner with an enduring resolution of their symptoms.
How do the Tenets of Osteopathy and the PHILOSOPHY of Osteopathy affect you?
If FORM truly does follow FUNCTION, which is a traditionally accepted law of nature, AND the human body truly possesses the innate capacity to heal itself, and it most certainly does, then before proceeding with any other modality of treatment not deemed URGENT or EMERGENT, wouldn’t it make sense to ensure that the etiology of the presenting symptoms are not rooted in a dysfunctional FORM that, if corrected, might resolve all symptoms? Would it not make sense to give the body EVERY opportunity to heal itself PERMANENTLY, without the adverse effects of medications or invasive procedures?
Additional Benefits
Another palpable benefit to bringing the body back to neutral and optimizing the body’s innate capacity to heal itself is the fact that if the strains in the fluid, fascia, muscle, and bone can be minimized, then this opens the body to be better able to accept and incorporate other complementary forms of noninvasive interventions such as physical therapy, acupuncture, reiki, and massage, making each treatment modality SIGNIFICANTLY MORE EFFECTIVE and SIGNIFICANTLY MORE ENDURING. This has been born out in my own experiences discussing patients with other practitioners and the changes that those practitioners experienced after the patient had been brought to neutral and my own palpation of the same patients coming back to me from each of the practitioners of these different modalities.
A TESTAMENT TO….. the body’s innate capacity to heal itself. ( This is where it gets AMAZING )
I cannot even begin to tell you how many of my patients have come back for follow-up visits reporting resolution of issues that they did not even report at the initial visit because they had either, had them for so long that they forgot to tell me about them, had been seen by multiple specialists who had all told them that there was nothing else that they could offer and that they were going to have to learn to live with their symptoms or, because they didn’t think that I would be able to do anything for the symptom they decided not to report at the initial visit. This is a testament to the amazing wonder of the human body and the power of the Primary Respiratory Mechanism that lives in each and every one of us, that a patient can come to see a practitioner that specializes in optimization of the innate capacities of the human body to heal itself, not report significant symptoms or complaints to that practitioner for one reason or another and yet still realize improvement or resolution of those symptoms DESPITE failing to or deciding not to report those same symptoms until they had changed significantly.
“To find health should be the object of the doctor. Anyone can find disease.”
Andrew Taylor Still, MD, D.O.