Wondering why your manual osteopath asks you to take a deep breath while she checks of the movement of your ribs and torso? By using osteopathic "listening" hands, she is checking the movement of your structures and feeling for restrictions. You see, as we move through life our bodies make amazing adaptations to injuries, traumas and even relatively simple bumps and scratches. But sometimes even the micro-traumas can create sticky spots along the fascia. Imagine some scar tissue around the lungs for example. With every breath you take, their normal movement pattern is altered. This could shift the rib movement creating pulls on the spine leading to mid-back pain, neck pain and even limit shoulder movement. This scenario demonstrates just one of hundreds of possible ramifications of a small dysfunction. And remember, on average you breathe 16 times per minute, or 23 000 times per day, or 160 000 times per week! Think about how many times the pull from just one sticky spot is nagging you over and over and over. So you can see how your pain can be far removed from the actual cause! Your manual osteopath has trained to "listen" to the normal rhythms of your body to find the root of the issue and then free up that issue. So next time she asks you to take a deep breath, breathe away! Your body will thank you for it.
Comments