The Magic of Osteopathy

By Anthony Wrigley, Non-Physician Osteopathic Manual Therapist

Osteopathy as a Philosophy

Since the birth of Osteopathy 150 years ago, it has undergone various historical periods. With it, the interpretation, perception, and language surrounding Osteopathy have also shifted. But how did the original thinkers see and understand Osteopathy?

The roots of Osteopathy have shaped its evolution and continue to inform its relevance today. Understanding its origins allows us to honor its foundational principles and recognize how they have stood the test of time.

Osteopathy is a practice deeply rooted in philosophy.

It is often a challenge for Osteopaths to find way of articulating this to patients. Time constraints, the complexity of the task, or even a lack of clear interpretation can make it difficult to convey its essence in a condensed manner. 

While we can extract the vital core of Osteopathic philosophy and share it with patients, it often remains vaguely understood and conceptualized by many. This is true not only for those new to Osteopathy but also for those who have been receiving treatment for years. As a result, Osteopathy remains somewhat of a mystery or an enigma to the general public.

Osteopathy and Nature

“Osteopathy is a sacred science because its healing power is seen through all of Nature” - A.T. Still

A.T. Still believed that the success of Osteopathy hinged on the ability of the Osteopath to heed to the universal principles that govern the inner workings of nature. 

“Osteopathy is based on the perfection of nature’s work. When all parts of the human body are in line we have health. When they are not, the effect is disease. When the parts are readjusted, disease gives place to health.” - A.T. Still 

A similar philosophy to Osteopathy can also be observed in the practice of regenerative agriculture. Farmers work with the structure of the land in order to bring the land back from the brink. This approach allow nature to function with ease, fostering self-regeneration, healing, and self-regulation. Osteopathy approaches nature in the same way when working with the human form.

The Founder of Osteopathy - Dr. A.T. Still

Dr. A.T. Still, the founder of Osteopathy, was one of the great early thinkers of the 19th century. An extraordinary observer of nature, he spent his life deeply connected to it.

As a young man, he studied, hunted and harvested animals from the land, providing for his family who lived with the Shawnee Indians on tribal lands over a period of years. During this time he also learned their language, observed their healing practices, and gained profound insight into how they saw the world.

He was spiritual man who spent a lot of his time thinking, contemplating and reflecting in nature. Through his keen powers of observation, he found answers to many of his questions, shaping the principles that would form the foundation of Osteopathy.

On the Word of Osteopathy 

“You wonder what Osteopathy is; you look in the medical dictionary and find a definition: ‘bone disease.’ That is a grave mistake. Osteopathy is compounded by two words: osteo, meaning bone; pathos or pathine, meaning to suffer. Greek lexicographers say it is a proper name for a science founded on a knowledge of bones. So instead of ‘bone disease’ it really means ‘bone usage’. I reasoned that the bone ‘osteon’ was the starting point from which I was to ascertain the cause of pathological conditions, and so I combined the ‘osteo’ with the ‘pathy’ and had a result - Osteopathy.” - A.T. Still

To Find Health

A.T. Still reasoned that a natural flow of blood is health, while disease arises from the general disturbance of this flow. He also reasoned that the bones could be used as levers to relieve pressure and friction from the nerves, lymphatics, veins, and arteries, thereby restoring balance. He likened the human body to a steam engine, susceptible to strains and variations. Once these were corrected, health was sure to follow. 

The practice of Osteopathy begins with identifying potential pathological conditions. Through manual intervention, the practitioner positively influences these conditions, enabling the body's arterial system to transport vital immunologic forces that combat pathogenic agents and restore health. The effect of Osteopathy, therefore, is to remove obstructions in the body that hinder vital processes. 

In disease, swelling occurs within the fascia, lymphatics, and nerve fibers, which can progress until adhesive inflammation cuts off the nerves responsible for nutrition, supply, and sensation.

The rule of the artery and vein is universal in all living beings. A.T. Still described arterial blood as the body’s internal “drug store,” carrying oxygen, hormones, minerals, vitamins, immune cells, and water. He believed that by removing the cause that stops or clogs the blood flow, or which blocks the nerves controlling that blood flow, the blood itself will go to work and cure.

“Nature has been thoughtful enough to place in man all that the word ‘remedy’ means” - A.T. Still

“Osteopathy’s aim is to use Nature’s remedies for treating the sick” - A.T. Still

Cause and Effect in Health

A.T. Still’s genius lay in his incredible ability to perceive, recognize, and appreciate cause and effect in nature. His discovery of Osteopathy was a natural progression of this understanding. 

His philosophy and life’s work focused on finding, knowing, and working with the cause of disease, rather than the effects of disease. His attention and awarenes were directed towards the inherent and incorruptible health that is ever present in both health and disease. 

His discovery brought to light a theoretical and practical understanding of the cause of disease.

“Harmony only dwells where obstructions don’t exist.” - A.T. Still

A Timeless Practice

As demonstrated in this brief overview of A.T. Still’s work, Osteopathy is far more than how it is commonly understood to be. Osteopathy is limitless - its possibilities for our health are boundless. The strains, shears, torsions, compressions, stressors, tensions, and pressures accumulated throughout our lives are countless, one on top of another, layer after layer.

Now more than ever, humanity is in need of a philosophy and practice like Osteopathy to help maintain health in a system and environment that often fosters disease rather than health. Gone are the days when humans lived as an intrinsic part of nature, surrounded by pristine wilderness, immersed in negative ionic charge, nourished by movement, rest, play, sleep, and social relations that were nourishing on all levels of the human psyche and spirituality.

The intent of this blog is to shine light on how Osteopathy can have a profound impact on both present and future health outcomes, enhancing vitality, improving function, well-being, and longevity. My hope is that more people will begin to incorporate Osteopathy into their life to counteract, neutralize, and nullify the obstacles in their body that contribute to the cause and effect A.T. Still emphasized with health and disease.

References:

Still, A. T. (1908). Autobiography of Andrew T. Still. The author.

Still, A. T. (1910). Osteopathy, research and practice. Still.

Still, A. T. (1899). Philosophy of osteopathy. Academy of Applied Osteopathy.

Still, A. T. (1902). The philosophy and mechanical principles of osteopathy. Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Company.