Osteopathy is a manual treatment for the whole body with the aim to free muscles, fascia, bones, joints and organs and to keep them mobile. The father and founder of Osteopathy, Andrew Taylor Still developed this treatment method in the 19th century. Originating from osteopathy, William Garner Sutherland developed the craniosacral therapy and also the very well-known chiropractic therapy.
One of the most quoted sentences of Still is: "Find it, fix it, leave it."
The osteopath scans the body with his hands looking for limitations and blockages of mobility. By freeing them up, he enhances mobility and after that, he lets the body do the rest and heal on its own.
«You as Osteopathic mechanist can go no farther than to adjust the abnormal condition, in which you find the afflicted. Nature will do the rest.»
“To find health should be the object of the doctor. Anyone can find disease.”
Quots: Still, A. T. (Andrew Taylor). Philosophy of Osteopathy Kindle-Version.
*Since 2020, in Switzerland, only graduates which completed an academic full-time study in the Western part of Switzerland, are allowed to call them "Osteopaths". For all the other existing part time academies which offer motivated, interested people the opportunity to complete a very high sophisticated 5-year training in the field of osteopathy. From February 2025 on, the only option is to add a 3-year Master's program to the 5-year study, which is also 'foreign' and therefore not recognized by the SRC. During my studies at SICO, I simultaneously completed the "Tronc Commun" in Craniosacral Therapy, which also has its origins in osteopathy. Therefore, I call my treatments "therapy according to SICO"*.
People who choose this type of education possess following qualities:
- Love, enthusiasm and motivation, but also time and money to learn this therapy and the philosophy behind.
- Strong will to develop further on regular basis and to grow personally.
- Joy learning, as A. T. Still said: «you begin with anatomy and you end with anatomy, a knowledge of anatomy is all you want or need, as it is all you can use or ever will use in your practice, although you may live one hundred years. As I have said, a knowledge of anatomy with its application covers every inch of ground that is necessary to qualify you to become a skillful and successful Osteopath, when you go forth into the world to combat diseases.”
- But the most important thing is the joy in meeting and collaborating with people.
All this without any claim for recognition!
To all those looking for a therapist, don't judge your therapist by how many diplomas and titles are hanging on the wall, but rather whether you truly feel understood and comfortable with this person. A therapist should not only bring knowledge and experience, but also create a respectful, empathetic environment where you can open up. The success of therapy often depends more on the relationship between you and the therapist than on any accolades
