Osteopathic Treatment

Osteopathy or osteopathic medicine addresses the patient as a whole person — body, mind and spirit — and does not just treat symptoms. Although the focus of treatment may appear to be on the muscles and bones, the benefits extend to all other body systems.

There are a variety of different techniques used in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, such as Muscle Energy, Strain-Counterstrain, Myofascial Release, Visceral Manipulation and Percussion.

I include Relaxation Techniques, Guided Imagery and Kinesiology as adjuncts to the manual therapy provided.  Engaging the mind to reduce the patient’s stress increases the effectiveness of the hand-on treatment.

In my practice, I have combined my traditional medical knowledge and skill with the osteopathic techniques I have learned.  Each patient is treated differently, depending upon their concerns and what I discover from their history and examination.  My own style of manual treatment is generally very light touch; I don’t employ any abrupt or forceful maneuvers.  By sensitively applying careful pressure, stretching and putting muscles through appropriate range of motion and positions, I tap into the body’s own readiness to return to health and balanced function.

Gentle support of the body often allows trauma held in the muscles to release and to unwind the compensations the body has made to cope with those injuries.  Some bodies require more aggressive treatment; the gentle interventions I provide aren’t right for everyone.  However, I feel confident that my treatments will be well tolerated by most patients and many will notice significant improvement after only a few sessions.  I have found that patients, at the very least, tend to feel more relaxed and balanced as a result of our work together.