Types of Osteopathic Techniques & Treatments
There are systems within systems inside of a body and to understand how they are all connected there is a huge requirement for neurological comprehension. Understanding the ‘wiring’ allows for incredibly precise assessing and addressing within the body and all of it’s systems, including these three main ones listed below:
Parietal System - Musculoskeletal Structures, Soft Tissues, Connective Tissues, Fascia, Neurological, Vascular, etc.
CranioSacral System - Central Nervous System, Dura Mater, Dural Membrane or Tube, Brain, Spinal Cord, Fluid, Biodynamic, Cranial Bones, Sacrum & more
Visceral System - Organ Function
There are many ways to address a body.
Osteopaths use a wide variety of modalities to evaluate and work on/with a body. Those modalities may focus on certain types of restrictions by utilizing a variety of options to assess & address them. This is just an introduction so bear in mind that many more osteopathic techniques exist and may be utilized to address immobility, muscular tension, fascial adhesions, articular restrictions, visceral and so on. Some osteopaths specialize in certain techniques more than others.
Cranial Techniques - This is often roped into the realm of craniosacral therapy but it’s important to differentiate between the difference between cranial techniques and craniosacral therapy. Cranial therapists often address the bones of the skull, the sutures that join those bones together, the tissues and fascia lying overtop of them, and inevitably the breath of the bones that takes place due to the craniosacral rhythm or pulsing of the dural tube.
Craniosacral Therapy - Craniosacral therapy can look different depending upon the practitioner that you see but they mostly focus on the rhythm of the craniosacral fluids within the body. There are other branches within craniosacral therapy such as biodynamic craniosacral.
Visceral Techniques - In humans, there are many osteopaths and/other manual therapists who specialize in visceral manipulation which can involve working on the fascial restrictions that may be restriction the organs place within the abdominal cavity. Evaluating the visceral system in this manner is a bit more straightforward with humans than it is on horses.
Functional Techniques - There are many branches of functional techniques but one example that is rooted in osteopathic principles is ortho-bionomy.
Structural Techniques - These techniques may focus more on joint mobility and look at articular restrictions as well as soft tissue ones.
