Basic Philosophy of Treatment
Updated: Apr 4, 2018
Looking at the basic philosophies of the osteopathic and naturopathic communities, I find that my own philosophy of treatment closely mirrors them both. Here are some of the basic tenets that these practitioners follow and that I believe in as well.
The body functions as a unit, meaning nothing happens in isolation. If one structure is not functioning well or moving as it should, the effects can be far reaching as all the body's systems and structures are interrelated.
The body is built to naturally heal itself. In my practice, the techniques I use are designed to assist the body with what it is already trying to, heal itself. In short, these techniques are not generally designed to stop the body from doing something, but rather to facilitate the body with a process that is struggling.
To effectively treat, we need to look beyond symptoms to find the underlying cause. This may be the most important and most difficult thing for any health care provider to do, but it is something that all practitioners should ascribe to and work hard to accomplish. There are a couple of different approaches to use as a manual therapist to accomplish this, and I work hard to find those areas that are creating the greatest challenge for your body at the time of treatment.
The individual must be treated as a whole person.
Although people usually seek out treatment when something is not functioning well, wellness and disease prevention should be the most important aspect of any medical intervention. Lifestyle, eating habits, the amount of physical and emotional stress a person is subject to, the amount of movement and exercise they get on a day to day basis, all play a role in an individual's overall health.
It is said, and accurately so I believe, that in this country we don't have "health care" we have "sickness or disease care". We need to have a fundamental shift towards a model of true "health care" in which the primary focus is in keeping people healthy by both helping them to understand how best to maintain their health through positive every day practices, and through medical intervention when necessary.