ANIMAL OSTEOPATHY
According to the legislation, the title Osteopath in UK is only granted for therapists registered with the GOsC (General Osteopathic Council). The law requires that every practitioner must first have a degree as a Human Osteopath before specialising in Animal Welfare.Having graduated from a french school, I did not receive the same training. For 5 years I learned the history of osteopathy, its principles and its rules, its many techniques, its limits, and I applied it to animals for which I give all my energy and my will to share the benefits of an osteopathic treatment. I am, however, not a practitioner for humans. My diploma as an Animal Osteopath in the UK is therefore not recognised as such, but as Animal Manual Therapist. Even if the title is unfortunately not recognised in the UK , the training I received still allowed me to acquire invaluable knowledge in the world of animal care from ethology, veterinary knowledge, horse riding, animal handling (even snakes, goats, rats and turtles), and a deep anatomical knowledge in several animal species that I was able to associate with my osteopathic techniques.After all, the rules of Osteopathy are the same for humans and animals: manual approach, wholeness of the body and search for homeostasis, dysfunctions to be lifted and mobility to be restored...
Osteopathy is an unconventional medicine founded in 1874 by an american doctor, Andrew Taylor Still. The practice is based on the use of manual techniques for diagnosis and treatment aimed at preserving or restoring the physiological mobility of the various structures of the body who are all interconnected. Osteopathy is based on four founding principles:
Unity
The body is considered as an indivisible functional entity within which everything is interrelated. This helps to maintain body balance also called homeostasis.
Body self-Healing
Homeostasis is the body's ability to maintain and adjust physiological components to a balance. This implies normal functioning of the circulatory system. Osteopathic treatment is therefore based on finding the causes of a disturbance and their normalisation in order to restore homeostasis.
Artery is supreme
The first changes that occur when a blockage is present are often circulatory. The obstruction causes a decrease in the irrigation of the tissues and with this an alteration in the delivery of oxygen, nutrients and immune agents to the affected structures
Structure and function
"If the skeleton is even slightly unbalanced, there is an alteration of movement which in turn generates a weakness of the structure". A.T.Still
The structural and functional integrity of the body allows the body to self-regulate and protect itself.
Each anatomical structure has a specific function which may be altered by an unsuitable environment, an incident, intensive activity, or other factors impacting the physical and / or physiological organisation of the individual. Any alteration in the natural mobility of the organs, muscles, tendons, skull structures or fascias would induce dysfunctions which could in the long term turn into pathologies. Manual therapies like osteopathy aim to reduce pain, improve movement and stimulate blood flow to encourage self-healing.