{"id":6118,"date":"2020-10-27T10:21:49","date_gmt":"2020-10-27T10:21:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.themaasclinic.com\/?post_type=guides&p=6118"},"modified":"2020-10-27T11:52:14","modified_gmt":"2020-10-27T11:52:14","slug":"osteopathy-an-introduction","status":"publish","type":"guides","link":"https:\/\/www.themaasclinic.com\/guides\/osteopathy-an-introduction\/","title":{"rendered":"Osteopathy: an introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Osteopathy is quite literally the backbone – pun intended! – of what we do here at The Maas Clinic. Our clinic founder and Lead Clinician Laurens Maas is trained first in osteopathy, and as such it informs everything we do here, and every treatment plan we create.<\/h1>\n

So… what is osteopathy? <\/b><\/p>\n

Osteopathy is a brilliant and broad practice, one which we are diving into in detail here. We hope you\u2019ll enjoy having a read!<\/p>\n

Osteopathy addresses the fundamental connections within your body: your bones, muscles, ligaments and connective tissue. Whatever your body is doing from your eyes downwards, your eyeballs always have to share a common horizon line. In order for your eyes to share that common horizon line, your body will stack up however it can to facilitate that. Even if it means an imbalance. If you are architecturally out of balance, you will use your muscles and joints in a way which causes inflammation.<\/p>\n

The more mechanically inefficient your body is, the more pain and inflammation you\u2019ll experience. This is because nerves stretch in one area, which causes \u2018crunched\u2019 nerves in another. Scoliosis – curvature of the spine – is a result of this, and can exasperate inflammation further.<\/p>\n

Osteopaths are trained to correct these skewed alignments, so that not only is your horizon line straight, but the rest of your body is too.<\/p>\n

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The law of balance<\/b><\/p>\n

Osteopathy uses the law of balance to inform its practice.<\/p>\n

A balanced skeleton is a happy skeleton.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In order for a skeleton to be balanced, the spine must be straight.<\/p>\n

Osteopaths specialise in ensuring that your body is properly aligned. They notice how one area of your body needs adjusting, so that another can straighten out.<\/p>\n

We like to joke that it\u2019s impossible to win a game of Jenga against an osteopath for this very reason! Osteopaths see the balance of things in a more complex and detailed way than most.<\/p>\n

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Good and bad spinal habits<\/h2>\n

\u201cWhat you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while<\/em>.<\/em>\u201d<\/h3>\n

Gretchen Rubin<\/strong><\/p>\n

This \u2018secret of adulthood\u2019, as shared by author Gretchen Rubin in her book The Happiness Project<\/em>, is one we endorse wholeheartedly when it comes to\u00a0 osteopathy.<\/p>\n

Indeed, broadly speaking, your daily habits have a much larger impact on your spinal health, than what you choose to do once in a while. How you sit, walk, the shoes you wear \u2014 these all have an impact on your spine.<\/p>\n

Slowly but surely good – or bad! – habits will have a noticeable impact on your spinal health.<\/p>\n

It is important to equip yourself with the knowledge as to what is beneficial for your spine, and what can damage it.<\/p>\n

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Good habits for your spine include:<\/strong><\/p>\n