Like life itself
Osteopathic laws are laws of nature that rule our lives although many times we ignore they are very close to us, as we live based on them. Let’s review them:
First Law: relationship between structure and function
Osteopathy provides the vision of an intimate relationship between structure, bones, tissues, organs, vessels, etc. and function, respiration, circulation, digestion.
What is the meaning of this? That if the structure that contains it is not available we will not have a good performance and vice versa.
For example: if we have low back pain, it can affect bowel function due to the close relationship that the lumbar musculature has with the diaphragm.
Second Law: unity of the body
The body is a unit. This means that traumas not only affect a single structure, moreover, they travel through the muscle chains and fascia. That is the reason of cascading phenomena.
We can use again the previous example: a fixation of the first lumbar or last dorsal vertebrae will alter the mechanics of the thoracic diaphragm, which in turn may alter cardiac, respiratory and liver function and, remotely, may cause low back pain due to adaptation that affect the position of the body.
Third Law: life is movement
All anatomical structures, from the densest (bones) through the softest (muscles, fascia), to the most fluid (blood, lymph, cerebrospinal fluid), are in motion with each other. This movement is essential to keep good health or well-being. When a normal physiological movement is lost or disturbed, it might cause ailment or disease.
Fourth Law: homeostasis
Homeostasis is the set of self-regulatory phenomena that keeps the compositions and properties of the body in balance, such as the immune response, blood pressure, body temperature, hormonal secretion, etc.
Homeostasis helps the body to get back to a healthy balance; once the osteopathic injury has been corrected, our body will naturally tend to return to its state of health and to regenerate damaged tissues.
Fifth Law: Arterial law
When blood circulation flows normally, diseases cannot be developed, since our blood carries all the necessary elements to ensure natural immunity and fight against diseases.
This means that a decrease in blood circulation implies a decrease in tissues defense capacity, allowing the appearance of dysfunctions, infections or a more difficult scenario to recover that tissue.
This concept extends to arterial, venous, lymphatic, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial and nervous circulation.
What is Somatic Dysfunction and how do we work on it at Can Oliver?
An osteopathic lesion appears before a proper injury occurs and is showed in diagnostic tests.
It is different from what is understood by injury in ordinary language, or even in medical language (fracture, dislocation, tear, cut, ulcer, etc.). An osteopathic lesion is as real as those mentioned, but it is below critical threshold of tissue rupture. Alterations are functional and can be defined and perceived by a loss or decrease of the normal movement of any tissue in the body. Therefore, it can be only found through palpation and listening.
Many times we will find what in classical medicine are called functional disorders, for example: tiredness, constipation, irritable bowel, difficulty concentrating, headaches, increased blood pressure, menstrual pain, anxiety, sleep disorders, etc. Other times, signs are more striking: stiff neck, migraine, lumbago, etc.
Without treatment, an osteopathic lesion always evolves into a structural alteration.
Our team of therapists master several disciplines that are complemented by osteopathy, taking into account the type of person, their constitution, personal history, psychology, etc. All this allows a quicker respond and access to their inside health potential.
Virginia Fernández
Osteopath and founder of Ca’n Oliver
Centro de osteopatía y salud integral
C/Gatzara 3 – Santa Gertrudis (Ibiza)
971 197 777 / 687 794 314
Fb @canoliver ibiza
IG @canoliveribiza
www.canoliveribiza.com