Osteopathy explained:

 

Dr Andrew Taylor in America pioneered osteopathy in 1874.

Osteopathy is holistic manual therapy, which diagnoses functional disorders and treats them by hand (manually).
Osteopathic treatments can be performed independently or in combination with conventional medical treatment. The methods are suitable for children of all ages, and adults.

This treatment, which is still fairly new in Germany, is based on the principle that “Life is movement.” The body’s entire structures must move freely. Restricting the body tissue’s movement impairs its function. If a number of these kinds of restrictions on movement occur, it is no longer possible for the body to compensate via other mechanisms, and this results in discomfort.

Spinal blockages often cause muscle tension and head, shoulder and back pain. Vertebral blockages can, like stomach restrictions, lead to digestive disorders, heartburn, and bladder dysfunction.
Pelvic torsion causes menstrual and bladder dysfunction, whilst dizziness and tinnitus result from damage to the mobility of the skull.

Symptoms often emerge on other parts of the body and are apparently independent of the dysfunction diagnosed by the osteopath!!

These disorders often remain undetected in imaging and laboratory diagnostic tests and are felt through vague symptoms,which often results in the patient not being taken seriously.

Osteopathic medicine observes the entire body and treats it holistically.

All age groups can be treated with osteopathy. Click here for information about paediatric osteopathy (children, toddlers and babies).

Osteopathy is divided into three parts:

Parietal osteopathy – musculoskeletal system (synonym: musculoskeletal osteopathy)

Fascia, muscles, joints, and bones link together the entire musculoskeletal system.

All of these structures can be restricted. Depending on the restriction, joint blockages, fascial bonds, muscular tension, and bony hardening of the bones can all be remedied using the appropriate techniques.

The symptoms and the actual causes can potentially be far removed from one another. For example, the source of pain felt in the musculoskeletal system may actually be located in the inner organs or in the cranium and sacrum.

Orthopaedic treatment consists of feeling for and gently remedying causal functional disturbances and blockages, and activating the body’s own healing powers.

Craniosacral osteopathy

In craniosacral osteopathy, the osteopath feels the liquor’s (nervous system fluid) rhythmical movement.

This method was originally pioneered by William Garner Sutherland, and applied to the head (cranium) and sacral bone (sacrum). He called this form of osteopathy, craniosacral osteopathy.

Osteopaths can now observe all rhythmical fluid movements and treat limited mobility in the entire body. They use gentle methods, known as craniosacral techniques.

Visceral osteopathy

Visceral osteopathic treatment focuses on the organs’ movements in relation to one other and the surrounding and supporting muscles, as well as the connective tissue. The organs’ motility (proper motion) is also assessed and treated.

The osteopath feels for mobility restrictions or organ system motility, and remedies these with targeted techniques, which loosen bonds and eliminate tissue blockage. This restores organ function.

Osteopathic treatment procedure

Osteopathic treatment begins with a comprehensive anamnesis of the patient’s medical history, which is followed by an osteopathic examination. The osteopath examines tissue in various different ways.
The osteopathic consultancy takes around 30-60 minutes. Following an osteopathic therapy session, the body needs around 1-2 weeks to respond to the treatment and begin healing itself.

According to requirement, this is then followed by a further session. Each treatment should be adapted to the patient’s diagnosis and produce a significant reduction in symptoms within 2-3 treatments.

Areas/disorders suitable for osteopathic treatment:

 Musculoskeletal system:

Muscular tension, ischialgia, shoulder pain, slipped disks, hip pain, neck ailments, whiplash, foot injuries

Ear, nose and throat

Dizziness, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), headaches and migraines, chronic sinusitis, inflammation of the middle ear

Internal medicine

Digestive disorders such as diarrhoea or constipation, stomach disorders, cramps, heart disorders (following medical assessment)

Urology:

Kidney disorders, bladder infections, bladder voiding disorders and enlarged prostrate

Gynaecology

Dysmenorrhoea, amenorrhea, menopause, infertility, post-operative adhesion and scarring

Paediatrics

Deformation of head or face, torticollis, curved spine, excessive crying, digestive disorders, concentration difficulties, hyperactivity (ADS)

What can paediatric osteopathy treat?

There is a diverse range of osteopathic treatments available for children! Causal therapy is suitable in many cases, and can have very impressive results. The following areas represent just a small selection of disorders suitable for treatment with paediatric osteopathy.

Disorders suitable for paediatric osteopathic treatment:

  • KISS, scoliosis, torticollis
  • Deformed skull
  • Attention deficit syndrome (ADS)
  • Hip displaysia
  • Arrested development
  • Three-month colic and digestive disorders
  • Excessive crying
  • Impaired vision
  • Jaw and bite disorders
  • Chronic inflammation of the middle ear, sinusitis

Why is osteopathy useful for babies and children?

Multiple births or a breech position in the uterus can be unpleasant for the baby/ies and can partially lead to functional disorders. If these are not quickly treated, illnesses can gradually emerge over the years.

For example:
Chronic scoliosis (curved spine) results from asymmetry; deformation of the skull through suction and forceps deliveries, which can later lead to impaired vision, arrested development, and ADS
It is frequently possible to ease or remedy these kind of birth traumas with osteopathic or craniosacral therapy.

Osteopathic treatment specialities at our clinic:

Osteopathy for adults:
Back pain, headaches, lumbago, ringing in the ears (tinnitus) dizziness, jaw joint disorders

 

Reimbursement of osteopathic treatment costs by health insurance schemes

Osteopathic treatment costs cannot be reimbursed by public health insurance schemes. Patients insured in this way must cover their own treatment costs.

Our current scale of charges for patients financing their own treatment*:

Osteopathic first anamnesis and treatment costs ca. €85

Most private health insurance schemes and additional insurance schemes partially or entirely reimburse naturopath treatment costs (You should enquire beforehand whether your private insurance company will reimburse the costs of the treatment).

  •  *As a privately insured patient, the invoice is issued based on the naturopath’s scale of charges (fees).

If your health insurance schemes does not partially or entirely reimburse the treatment costs, it is up to you to decide whether you want to make a financial contribution to your health.

 

Osteopathy association membership:

  • Verband freier Naturopath e.V. / Association of independent naturopaths
  • VOD e.V. Verband der Osteopathen Deutschland / Association of German osteopaths
  • ACON e.V. Arbeitsgemeinschaft Chiropractic , Osteopathy und Neuraltherapie

Recommended reading about osteopathy:

  • Osteopathy- Sanftes Heilen mit den Händen (Newiger, Trias-Verlag)
  • Osteopathy – So hilft sie ihrem Kind (Newiger/Beiborn, Trias-Verlag)
  • Osteopathy für Frauen (Gillemot/Newiger Trias-Verlag)

I often use the following treatments in tandem with osteopathy:

Praxis Osteopathie & Naturheilkunde Berlin-Friedrichshain/Kreuzberg

Lehmbruckstraße 3
10245 Berlin
Friedrichshain / Kreuzberg
030 / 69529372
Termin online buchenDoctolib

Opening Hours
Mon 08:00 - 19:00
Tue 08:00 - 19:00
Wed 08:00 - 19:00
Thu 08:00 - 19:00
Fri 08:00 - 19:00