What is Osteopathy

 

Osteopathy Focuses on the Whole Patient

Osteopathic medicine is a system of health care practice that focuses on the whole patient. The structure and function of the body are considered interdependent, with a normally functioning musculoskeletal system playing an important role in wellness, disease prevention, and recovery.

Osteopathic Training

Like M.D.’s, D.O.’s complete an internship and residency program after their five years of training as a family physician. Then an Osteopath must pass a state medical board examination to obtain a license. The D. O. degree is equal to the M.D. degree in the United States. After fives years of basic medical training, a D. O. can specialize in any of the medical specialties including, internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery or orthopedics. Osteopathic manipulations is a specialty within the profession, requiring a residency program.

“Dr. Newlon has specialized in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. She has accumulated hundreds of hours in post graduate training in Osteopathy in the Cranial Field. Cranial Osteopathic certification requires almost as much understanding and training as it does to become a Brain Surgeon.

Osteopathic Manipulation

In osteopathic manipulation, muscle, bone, ligament, organ, fluid and membrane movement is addressed in treatment, enabling the body’s natural ability to heal itself to come forward. For example, if lung movement is impeded by ribs, spine or a diaphragm that is not moving well, breathing will be impaired. If breathing is impaired, the body’s immune function through lymphatic drainage is not good and healing will be hindered.

Cranial Sacral Osteopathy

In Cranial Sacral Osteopathy the movement of the brain and spinal cord, cerebral spinal fluid, and membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord are addressed, as well as cranial bone movement and movement of the sacrum between the hips. With a method similar in feel to acupressure, Dr. Newlon carefully releases restricted muscles, bones, ligaments, membranes, and fluid motion.

Cranial bone motion was discovered by William Garner Sutherland, and Osteopath practicing in the early 1900′s. He brought out his understanding of the cranial bone motion, cerebral spinal fluid motion,membranes around the brain motion and sacral motion in 1938. People trained by the Upledger Institute or Barnes method do not receive this full original teaching and do not get the depth and breadth of training and study of the anatomy under their hands. They label their work “Cranial/Sacral Therapy. Many hours of post graduate training in Osteopathic manipulation incorporating the Cranial concept is required AFTER the full Osteopathic degree is awarded, which is a five year full medical training in Family Medicine. The best results are obtained by seeking treatment from a licensed Osteopath in the Cranial Work.

Goals of Osteopathic Treatment

 

• Free movement of the cranial bones and sacrum permitting circulation of the spinal fluid
• Free movement of all joints in the body, including spinal vertebrae and ribs
• Free movement of the organ systems
• Restoration of blood flow and nerve functions to promote healing
• Optimum function of the body’s own immune system