Osteopathy is anon-invasive manual therapy, taking a holistic, whole-body approach to healthcare. Its’ aim is to improve health across all body systems by manipulating and strengthening the musculo-skeletal framework.
An osteopath does not concentrate only on the problem area but uses manual techniques to balance all body systems with gentle and subtle manipulations, especially of the muscles and soft tissues. Techniques used include stretching, soft pressure, resistance, and massage. Alignment of the spine, joints and muscles has a positive impact on the regulation of the nervous, circulatory, and lymphatic systems, thus improving all body functions, resulting in overall sense of wellbeing.
Prevention advice can also involve specific stretching exercises, breathing exercises and posture tips, which all help to improve posture and reduce pain. Osteopaths may also suggest dietary modifications, and changes to workplace ergonomics, such as seating and desk position.
Osteopathy was devised by Andrew Taylor Still, an American physician and surgeon in the late 1800s. His discovery was that the body possesses the natural ability to recover from ill health when functioning effectively and developed an approach that integrated corrective manual techniques to affect body’s functions to enable healing and ‘restore health’.
This approach became known as 'osteopathy' in 1885, and in 1892 the American School of Osteopathy in Kirkville, USA, was founded to teach his methodologies to others.
Osteopathy arrived in Britain in 1913, via one of Still’s early students, John Martin Littlejohn, who returned to London with the aim to practice, as well as that of setting up 'a standard of osteopathic science, to show the public what the science is and to clinically demonstrate its efficiency'.He established the British School of Osteopathy in 1917, the first in the country, and served as Dean of the School for 40 more years.
Osteopathy has evolved significantly since then, to become an internationally practiced and highly regards profession, recognised by the World Health Organisation and other international bodies. UCO graduates have helped to profoundly influence the development and future of osteopathy in the UK and worldwide, as practitioners, educators, researchers and representatives of the profession.
