If earlier the idea of an osteopath was the same as that of a chiropractor, and people went to him with problems of the spine, posture, etc., today such doctors offer to get rid of any ailment. There are even legends that osteopathic therapy can strengthen the immune system, overcome stomach ulcers, etc. In order not to be deceived before visiting such a doctor, it is worth reading the description of this type of therapy in detail. Doctor-toxicologist and medical journalist Alexei Vodovozov studied in detail both the history of the development of osteopathy and the possible risks of its use as a treatment. This is exactly what estet-portal.com will tell.
Osteopathic Doctor – legalized specialty of doctor
The concept of osteopathy is defined as follows – it is a kind of system of preventive measures, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, which is manual and medical in nature. The main direction of osteopathy – restoration of the natural abilities of the human body. And, despite the fact that there is almost no scientific basis for such a practice, it can no longer be attributed to alternative methods of treatment, because the specialty "osteopath" official.
According to the theory of osteopaths, every ailment in the body has its own cause, which, in their opinion, has three components: biomechanical, rhythmogenic and neural. In the scientific world, only the last component is accepted, because in the process of developing various ailments, the effect on the nervous system is quite understandable, as well as the existence of pain maps. Science does not agree with the first two, since the concept of "setting the stomach" or "change the symmetry of the bones of the skull" just unreal.
Osteopathic doctor: getting to know the founder of the theory
An American physician named Andrew Taylor Still is the founder of osteopathy. A well-known surgeon was of the opinion that a person does not need doctors to recover, because it is enough for the body to restore the lost balance, and then the recovery process will develop itself. In the 19th century, this method of healing was an excellent alternative to existing medicine, where bloodletting was sometimes resorted to.
Osteopathy did no harm, which means it worked. Still's motive for the birth of a new medicine was also the loss of loved ones who died of meningitis. The connection between human anatomy and physiology formed the basis of the theory. The doctor decided that effects on the body are capable of transmitting commands to the organs aimed at restoring damaged functions, and this is not about preventing colds, but about curing serious diseases.
Resisting conventional medicine against an osteopath
The Medical Association of America did not approve of the new direction, but on the contrary took osteopathy for a cult and did not recognize it. But in society, osteopaths were approved, and primarily because of the positive advertising from famous personalities. So, Mark Twain approved of such medicine and did not hesitate to talk about it, because his daughter's osteopath relieved an attack of epilepsy, and the writer removed the symptoms of bronchitis. that they know how to treat and help people, unlike traditional treatment in a hospital.
Despite all kinds of struggle with osteopaths, it was not possible to overcome them in America. Then the association of medicine decided to take a new direction, but on the condition that doctors will be fully responsible for their actions. So, already in the 60s, osteopaths became family doctors who practiced manual methods of therapy. In 1993, the direction was recognized by other countries: Canada, Belgium, China, Switzerland, etc.
But even the osteopaths themselves, many, considered themselves massage therapists with a high price tag, because patients had to pay extra for a new direction. As for the Soviet Union, osteopathy gained momentum during the perestroika years.
The legalization of osteopathy has not solved the problem with the evidence base for its effectiveness. Scientific reviews in the new direction come to different conclusions, for example, one of them gave a result indicating that there is no difference between any intervention and osteopathy to reduce back pain. In studies where the effectiveness of the sessions is observed, upon closer examination, there are a large number of errors or incorrect interpretation of the data obtained.
There are also results indicating not only the low effectiveness of osteopathic manipulations, but also their harm in the rehabilitation process. The specialists of the new direction themselves point to the lack of good research in osteopathy, which can negatively affect its development, since scientific medicine is developing quite quickly.
A session with an osteopath: are there any contraindications
Modern therapy can harm your health, but not in the literal sense, because this is one of the main differences between osteopaths and chiropractors: the former do not "set the vertebrae"; on the move, but act with caution. Therefore, osteopathy became a legalized direction and for a long time had no contraindications.
Today, the following warnings are listed as a separate list:• presence of skin diseases;
• heat;
• heart disease;
• blood diseases;
• oncological diseases;
• acute brain diseases.
Therefore, when deciding to visit a doctor, you should study contraindications so as not to harm yourself.
Considering an osteopathic doctor as the only way to heal without medical intervention or as a massage therapist with a high cost – you decide. As you can see, the development of the direction did not immediately cause the approval of scientific medicine, and there are certain reasons for this. But if you decide to have a session with an osteopath, then you should definitely check if he has a diploma and an appropriate license, since today many novice massage therapists pretend to be professional osteopaths. Do not forget about contraindications, because the lack of effect from the – it's not the worst. You can aggravate an unpleasant situation with your own health if, despite the warnings, you go to a miracle healer, regardless of the contraindications to it.
Add a comment