Treatments
The way in which the osteopath moves from simple massage techniques to articulate and complex vertebral manipulation manoeuvres, then proceeds with incisive mobilisations and ends with light finger pressure on the patient's skull is fascinating. The fascination comes not only from the fact that the manoeuvres can be beautiful and intriguing to watch, but also from the order in which they are used by the practitioner. At the age of 18 I was convinced that "when I grew up" I would go into tourism (because of my love for travel and geography). Shortly afterwards, I was lucky enough to see an osteopath at work and decided to change my path.
So I enrolled in the Istituto Superiore di Osteopatia in Milan where I saw a Teacher demonstrating Osteopathic Manipulative Techniques. My love for the art of osteopathy had blossomed...
Osteopathy is a discipline that deals with the correction of the musculoskeletal system, founded in the USA by Andrew Taylor Still in 1885. The term Osteopathy comes from Osteo (=bone) and Pathy (=path): the path of the bones is the interpretation that the founder of this science wanted to give to this profession. Osteopathic treatment is pure art.
Defining osteopathy as a manual discipline is certainly simplistic because the osteopath is not simply a therapist who performs manoeuvres, but is a professional who follows to the letter the first principle of this science: considering the body as a single entity. For this reason, he analyses the person's entire body and arrives at an understanding of the cause of the body's dysfunctional state. The search for the cause is a recurring theme in all my treatments, and after years of study I have come up with my own diagnostic method that allows for a complete postural assessment of the individual. All the basic principles of Osteopathy mean that it is not possible to do simply osteopathic techniques, but that you need to be an Osteopath to be successful in this profession.
The osteopathic examination consists of a first medical history part in which I collect data about the person's health condition. This phase of the visit also serves to establish a relationship of trust. Then the person's body is assessed through static observation of the spine and analysis of the mobility of the spine and the main joints.
Depending on the person's complaints, neurological and skeletal function tests are carried out, as well as specific osteopathic tests, Applied Kinesiology tests and Sacral Occipital Technique tests to assess the original cause of the dysfunctional state of the person's body.Osteopathic treatment consists mainly of massage techniques, joint mobilisation, spinal manipulation and cranio-sacral therapy. These manoeuvres are aimed at restoring the correct function of tissues that have a non-physiological condition. The treatment is indicated for people of all ages: in fact, babies, 90-year-olds, professional athletes, teenagers, etc. Osteopathic treatment is purely manual and does not involve the use of machines.
I often collaborate with medical doctors, dentists, podiatrists, optometrists and other professionals in resolving the dysfunctional cause of a person's body, as I strongly believe that a multidisciplinary approach is essential to restore the individual to a healthy condition.
