At The Vitality Centre we consider Osteopathy to be a philosophy of healthcare that acknowledges the dynamic relationship between the structure and function of the human body. The Osteopath recognises that the living body is a self-renewing, self-regenerating, self-recuperating system which maintains health constantly throughout life. Dr A T Still (1828-1917) an American medical doctor and the founder of Osteopathy, saw the body as self-maintaining and self-regulating but recognised that the body’s equilibrium could be disturbed by external factors including, but not limited to, injuries, occupationally induced strain and incorrect posture.

 

 Whenever that health-maintaining system is compromised, symptoms or disease could develop. Osteopathy is concerned with that which has compromised health rather than the resulting condition.

​

The recognition that the body functions as a single unit and the structure and function are interdependent, requires that the osteopath does not only concentrate on treating the problem area, but uses manual techniques to balance interrelated systems of the body to improve health and wellbeing.