Osteopathy is a 'holistic' approach to Healthcare, far more so than modrern pharceutical medicine.  It seems a characteristic of all Traditional Healthcare systems is that they take a more 'holistic' approach -  seeing, and perhaps seeking, a unity of body, mind and spirit.  This is certainly a principle of Osteopathy, as it also is for Acupuncture, Naturopathy, and also Rongoa Maori or Traditional Maori Healing.

Although much of today’s treatment approach in Osteopathy is technique based (the American Association of colleges of Osteopathic Medicine lists 40 different Osteopathic Manipulative medicine techniques, and more than 500 Osteopathic manipulative techniques are mentioned in other Osteopathic publications) the original approach to Osteopathy was based on Principles.

The approach to Osteopathic treatment by its founder, Andrew Taylor Still, in the mid nineteenth century, was based upon principle. As was the approach of John Martin Littlejohn, who studied with Andrew Still in the late nineteenth century, taught physiology at the American College of Osteopathy (founded by Andrew Still) and applied the new science of physiology to Osteopathy. (Although a brilliant anatomist, Still's original Osteopathy was based on anatomy alone.) John Littlejohn went on to found the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, and later, on returning to the UK, established the British College of Osteopathy in 1917.

For Littlejohn, one of the principles of Osteopathy was that of 'the Vital Force'. This is perhaps very similar to the 'qi' or vital energy of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. (Homeopathy also has a similar concept). Perhaps it is a characteristic of Traditional Medicines that the emphasis is not on pathology, illness or disease, but rather on 'wellness', health, and this idea of ‘vital energy’ or life force’ (The 'qi' of Chinese Medicine, Qigong, etc).  

In addition to this 'vital force' Littlehohn also saw the principals of Osteopathy (certainly as physical therapy) including 'adjustment' and 'articulation'. These principles of 'Vital force', 'adjustment' and 'articulation' dominated Littlejohn's approach to Osteopathy.  As Littlejohn would have said: 'We must begin at the vital force, because there we find the secret of the patient'.  And perhaps, as John Wernham (a student of Littlejohn, and someone with whom I had the good fortune to study with for a time) would have said: 'The principle of Osteopathy is not bone adjustment, but body adjustment.'

Certainly, most people, most patients, would find that Osteopathy, and Osteopathic treatment seems to take a far more 'global' approach. As Osteopaths, we do not just treat
'where it hurts' (although we may do that also) but look further ('look behind it' as Littlejohn would have said). So we look at the entire body, and perhaps treat the entire body also. For nothing exists in isolation, but only as a part in relation to the whole. Many people find that this is a more thorough, more effective (and more gentle) approach to treatment - and can give far better results.

 

 

 

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