This article previously appeared in the May 2018 issue of Flying Changes magazine.
Julie Staub, founder of The Symposium for the Enhancement of Horses & Riders is trying to prevent just that.
Osteopathy is a name for a complex science that has existed for over 100 years. It is a treatment method that was founded by Andrew Taylor Still M.D. in 1892. Known as the “Father of Osteopathy”, one of his many definitions of osteopathy is as follows: “Osteopathy is the scientific knowledge of anatomy and physiology, applied through the trained and experienced hands of the therapist to help the suffering patient after strain, overstrain, shock, accident, mechanical disorders and wounds”.
There are several guiding principles that govern this science which can be applied to all sentient beings. Some of these principles include treating the whole body as a unified organism. This means that the body functions as a whole and that physical injuries to tissues will affect the mind and vice versa. Another guiding principle is form follows function. For example, if you roll a square block of wood on the pavement many times, it will eventually become rounded. This applies to our anatomy as well. If we carry a heavy load in our right arm day after day, it will eventually lead to a spine that is bent to the right and a shoulder blade that sits too low on our ribcage. This will cause problems with the shoulder and the spine. One of the most known principles in osteopathy is the arterial rule. This means, for example, that if we have an injury at our sacroiliac joint (between the pelvic bones) we will have compromised neurological, vascular, and lymphatic connections to the organs, joints, and tissues beyond that injury.
How does osteopathy differ from other kinds of treatment? Osteopathy is a method of treatment that looks at the 3 major systems of the body: the parietal system (joints, muscles, ligaments), the craniosacral system ( joints of the cranium, sacrum, and the membranous system around the brain and spinal cord), and the visceral system (organs and fascia that connect the organs to themselves and to the rest of the body). The body and its joints are seen differently in osteopathy vs. allopathic medicine. An osteopathic joint is one where two anatomic structures come together and motion takes place. With this in mind, the chief role an osteopath plays in restoring health is restoring mobility. In allopathic medicine, a joint consists of bone to bone contact with joint capsule, cartilage, and synovial tissue.
Osteopathy was developed on the premise that the body has within it all of the necessary ingredients to maintain health and recover from disease. There is an innate belief in the body as being self-developing, self-sustaining, self-adjusting, and self-propelling all within its own power. The energy source for healing is food not medicine (drugs). This is not the platform or philosophy of traditional allopathic medicine today. In today’s view of medicine, western trained practitioners look at symptoms and provide treatments that nullify or abate the symptoms rather than get to the root cause of disease. Patients are treated by rule rather than reason.
The application and success of osteopathy is dependent on the knowledge of anatomy and clinical experience of the osteopath. The more thorough the understanding of anatomy and how the body works, the more likely the osteopath will come to the exact cause of the lesion. Andrew Taylor Still never taught that all diseases were due to displacements of bony structure but that bony structure along with irritation of nerves, contraction of muscles, abuse of organs, etc could also bring about osteopathic lesions. Osteopathy can provide an exact method of treatment, which if properly applied, will enable the blood and tissues to administer nature’s perfect remedy, in the optimum dose, without side effects.
Janek Vluggen D.O., MRO-D, EDO is an exceptionally gifted osteopath. He has dedicated his life to the advancement, development, and teaching of the foundational osteopathic principles developed by A.T. Still so that osteopathy would not become a lost art. Janek’s passion for osteopathy is unmatched. He has applied these principles to both human and horse. When you watch him dance around the horse and “work his magic”, it truly is an art. It isn’t long before the horse realizes and embodies the benefit of this art of osteopathy. Janek Vluggen D.O., MRO-D, EDO will be leading a team of osteopaths, veterinarians, and an equine dentist in an exploration of health at this year’s Symposium for the Enhancement of Horses & Riders. This event is open to the public.
The Symposium for the Enhancement of Horses & Riders will be in our local community on May 19th and 20th in Creswell, Oregon at Silver Tail Farm. Janek Vluggen D.O., MRO-D, EDO will be joined by several team members to address the whole horse including Luann Groves DVM, EDO, Casey M. Jones EDO, EqTPMT, and Elizabeth Voss, Equine dentist.
These people are committed to helping the equine industry raise the level of care for horses and their owners. This will result in happier horses and humans, improved performance, improved overall health, and increased longevity. Please consider joining us this year to celebrate the art of osteopathy in practice. For more information or to register for the Symposium visit www.supportingthehorseandrider.com or call 541-968-2669.