WHAT DO OSTEOPATHS DO? WHAT IS OSTEOPATHY? WHO SEES AN OSTEOPATH/ic manual therapist?

The focus is on treating the entire patient over a period of time rather than treating a patient’s symptoms in a crisis-orientated, one-spot only approach. The goal over several months and (on average) 5-7 treatments is to help the patient to heal.

It is about a free moving body, as free motion ensures that all innate healing systems (all of them depending on an unrestricted blood flow and waste elimination) are free to work without dysfunctions.

After a thorough case history diagnosis takes place only with the hands. The hands of an osteopath are as trained as the taste of a wine taster or the nose of a perfumer. („With thinking, feeling, seeing and knowing fingers“ WGS). This and the superb knowledge of anatomy and embryology help the osteopath to detect any tension or dysfunction, that might be the cause for the symptoms. He/she than treats this problem with soft and subtle manual techniques or, if necessary, with manipulations to gently free the restricted areas.

Who comes to see us?

Pregnant women, mothers and babies, seniors with all the problems that come with aging- and everybody in between. From migraine and chronic fatigue to chronic pain issues anywhere in the body, stress, bowel problems and panic attacks (e.g. after trauma), cry babies, problems with breastfeeding, ... the list could go on for a long time.

No matter the underlying cause - these all state functional problems = nothing is 'broken' and often doctors cannot find a cause. Oftentimes the problem is purely functional - a locked up joint, too much tension on a nerve or blood vessel, etc.

And this is, where Osteopaths might be of help to find the dysfunction and help the body to heal. The task of an Osteopath is to help the body to unfold its inherent self-healing potency. And if the underlying problem is not curable- the issues caused by it still can be improved more often than not.
Osteopathy is a holistic approach- one never only treats parts of the system- even if the pain is seemingly only located in one part- but the treatment is always for the whole ‘triune man’, consisting of body, mind and spirit.

A little bit of history about Osteopathy (see 'A little Word about Osteopathy' for more plus an example of a case with knee pain)

‘Man is a Triune’ (body, mind and spirit) said Dr. Andrew Taylor Still. He founded Osteopathy in 1874. In 1892 he opened the first School in Kirksville, USA.
It is a hands-on-therapy, that works mostly with very soft and subtle techniques. Therefore an Osteopath has a very specific and detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology and physiology and is extremely well trained in palpating all the different structures, tissues, organs, all the fluid flow of blood and lymph - and any obstructions therein.
You may have heard of Cranio-Sacral-Therapy, Orthobionomy, Fascial Balancing? These all originate from the holistic concept of Osteopathy. Chiropractice has its roots in osteopathic approaches as well.

A quote from Dr. Still:
„Osteopathy is based on the perfection of Nature’s work. When all parts of the human body are in line we have health. The work of the osteopath is to adjust the body from the abnormal and health is the result of the normal condition.“

Quote from the Home University Encyclopedia 1954:
'Osteopathy, a system of health and healing based on the principles that: (1) the normal living body makes its own remedies to fight ill-health; and (2) the body is a vital machine whose ability so to fight depends upon its being in correct adjustment. Apart from infectious diseases, there is another field in which osteopathy is effective, including neuritis and neuralgia, lumbago and sciatica, foot troubles, disturbances of the special senses, and interference with the functions of glands, organs and systems.'
After the announcement of his discovery of osteopathy in 1874, Dr. Andrew Taylor Still went from Kansas to Kirksville, Mo. For several years he went from town to town in Missouri and Iowa, treating diseases of all kinds by his new method and effecting many remarkable cures. More and more, patients came from distant parts, until he was totally unable to care for them, and in 1892 he organized the American School of Osteopathy from which the first class was graduated in 1894.
Although osteopathy met with considerable opposition, its growth was rapid. It was introduced into Hawaii in 1897, into Canada in 1898 and is now practised in Australia, China and Japan, as well as in Great Britain and Ireland and continental Europe. In 1939, there were six colleges of osteopathy in the United States. There are 10,000 or more osteopathic physicians in the United States, organized into the American Association and state and local societies.'
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The American Association (now: American Osteopathic Association) and the American School of Osteopathy in Kirksville (now: Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine) still exist.

OSTEOPATHIC TREATMENTS There are no two persons with the same reasons for the same shown symptom! A treatment takes approximately 50 minutes. It is a hands-on treatment with mostly very subtle techniques. The osteopath does not do the healing - he or she activates the self-healing potency of the patient! Osteopathic medicine sees the body’s own healing system as the most effective intervention and seeks in every way possible to stimulate and release the body’s own healing resources. The body now can start this process, which is why usually there are at least 2-3 weeks in between treatments. Each new session picks up the patient at his/her very state of health at that day. As an average patients come 4-6 times.

And who is Susanne F. Dick D.O.?
I studied Physiotherapy from 1983-1986 and Osteopathy from 1997 to 2002. In 2003
I also became a Naturopath and studied 2,5 years of Homeopathy (all in Germany).
After working in different clinics from 1986 until 1997 I had my own clinic in Hamburg, 1997 to 2007. Since 2008 I have my clinic in Alberta and also teach and treat in Germany on a regular basis.
Osteopath or Osteopathic Manual Therapist?
In Germany- and the European Union- I am considered a fully licensed Osteopath. In 1987 I started out as a physiotherapist and studied Osteopathy from 1997 to 2002. I am also a naturopath (in Germany). But I am not a physician. In Canada and the U.S.A., though, you are only allowed to call yourself 'osteopath' when you are also a physician. The osteopathic training itself is not different, it is the legal status. So while I treat my German patients as an osteopath, I treat my Canadian patients as an osteopathic manual therapist.
There are training programs in Canada now that only take a few months. As Osteopathy is not a regulated profession in Canada everybody can call her- or himself an osteopath. So if you want to make sure, that the therapist whom you are seeing for osteopathic treatments is trained in the ideal of Dr. Still, the founder of Osteopathy, you look for somebody with a 4-5 years training program.
Osteopathy is not something you can learn quickly. It takes a long time and continuing practise and dedication in order to develop the fine senses to feel all that is going on in the body.
The members of the Albertan Association of Osteopathic Manual Therapists all participated in long term training programs. You will find a therapist's guide on the website AAOMT.org

I am a member of the
- AAOMT Albertan Association of Osteopathic Manual Therapists (www.aaomt.org)
- VOD Verein der Osteopathen Deutschland (www.ostheopathie.de)
I was born and raised in Stuttgart, Germany, lived a long time in Freiburg and even longer in Hamburg. Now I am living and working in Alberta, Canada.
Several times a year I am in Germany. I work with my patients, teach at an undergraduate school for osteopaths and I work as an interpreter for osteopathic courses.
Besides the above I am translating specialist literature on osteopathy.