Читать книгу The Principles and Methods of Osteopathy. Part 1. Biomechanical Methods - I. A. Aptekar - Страница 10

Let us list some methods of osteopathy that every freshman of any osteopathic school knows after the first seminar.

– Man is a part of nature (the biosphere).

– Man is a dynamic functionally integrated system.

– The human body is a self-regulating system.

– Unity of function and structure.

– Movement is one of the fundamental manifestations of life.

– Primary (cellular) respiration is the basis of life activity.

– Benevolent care of a person, focused on health, is the basis of effective therapy

Man is a part of nature (the biosphere)

Every man is a part of all mankind and the biological system of our planet on the whole. In fact, I want to think that it really is, and we are not a malicious virus that our earth simply tolerates up to a certain point.

Thus, what we consider to be a whole is simultaneously a part, and we are dealing with a system in the system.

“…And humanity is just one big body of Adam”, as some claim, “… consisting of cells in the form of humans…”.

The division into parts of the body, organs and systems is the result of the work of our mind, the intellectual exploration of our “observer”, and the description of the individual fractions that make up the whole picture.

But even at this level, the shape and physiology of tissues and organs is determined by the needs of the whole. The needs of adaptation to environmental conditions, which are formed long before birth and are predetermined genetically. Parts are just an expression and a manifestation of the whole.

Man is a dynamic functionally integrated system

Human body is a single system consisting of parts striving for functional integrity.

All organs and systems are interconnected anatomically and functionally.

Anatomical unity is ensured by the fascia and its derivatives forming a biomechanical integrity not only at the local, but also at the regional and global levels.

Functional unity is manifested by a continuous, complementary relationship between the functions of all organs and systems of the body.

Biodynamic unity is characterized by a unifying relationship between man and nature of which he is an integral part.

The human body functions only in interactions with the environment. The study of the functional unity of the human body is inextricably linked with physiology – a dynamic study of the functions of the living organism and its components in the process of interaction with the environment.

The main object of the study of physiology are the functions of the organism as a whole, its parts, tissues, organs, cells, extracellular elements, molecules and atoms.

All objects studied by the osteopaths are part of the physical space and, given the dynamic component, can be described in a four-dimensional coordinate system.

Of these four coordinates three relate to space, and their understanding underlies the biomechanical method of osteopathy forming the definition of axes and planes.

The fourth coordinate is time. In osteopathy we determine the duration of the event and the frequency of its occurrence.

Thus, we can conclude that osteopathy, based on the laws of physiology, studies the integrity of the human body.

The body consists of parts. The characteristics of these parts vary with time. In other words, the dynamic processes of the organism’s interaction with the environment, that is functions, are the subject of study.

The human body
is a self-regulating system

The basis of effective self-regulation of the body is the normal physiological state of the immune, central and autonomic nervous systems. These systems, like everything in our organism, are interrelated, indivisible and integral.

To restore self-regulating functions, the system must pass through a state of neutrality, which is achieved by the balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic component of the autonomic nervous system. And also by the restoration of the interrelations of the organism (biosphere), of which it is a part.

Unity of function and structure

Biological functions of the human body are the result of the evolutionary development of the human body in the process of adaptation to changing environmental conditions.

To implement specific functions a certain structure of cells and organs is necessary. We need their structural organization.

The statement that structure and function are interrelated does not really reflect the true situation. They are one. A function can only be expressed through a structure. A structure is such only because it must express a certain function.

If in the process evolutionary development of the human body for adaptation it required other functions, then no doubt the structure of cells, tissues and organs would be different. One example is the evolution of the structure of telereceptors.

The structure of the body and its individual parts is predetermined genetically, within the framework of the functional purpose. Any violation of the order and sequence of gene activation inevitably leads to a disruption of structural and functional interactions. Moreover, the state of the environment in the first two weeks of embryo development significantly affects embryogenesis.

Can we say that the function is primary with respect to the structure?

Yes and no. The future functions of the organism are “recorded” in the genome and ordered in the structural elements of chromosomes.

Thus, we understand that, regardless of the dominant influence, the function and structure are unified and inseparable.

In the process of the life of the human body as a result of adaptation beyond the physiological boundaries, we get a change in the structure of organs and tissues. In some cases this leads to a change in fuction. And it manifests itself not only at the local or regional but also at the global level.

Sanogenetic reactions, the purpose of which is to maintain homeostasis, if necessary form the systemic changes in the structure and function of the whole organism.

With various violations, two extreme scenarios are possible. In the first case, this is the control of the nervous system and the change in transport flow from the side of the vascular system. These changes lead to the formation of functional abnormalities and, as a consequence, to the disruption of the function. With long-term functional disorders in the process of adaptation of the organism the structure changes.

On the other hand, mechanical damage to the structure entails a disruption of the function. That is why for a long time one of the basic principles of osteopathy reads: “The structure controls the function, the function affects the structure.”. Now we understand when this happens.

Movement is one of the fundamental manifestations of life

Movement is one of the manifestations of the vital activity of the body. All physiological processes are accompanied by internal and external motor activity. This activity manifests itself in the form of rhythmic oscillations of a certain frequency, power, and amplitude. By changing these indicators we can evaluate the functional state of the organs and systems of the body. The motor activity and its characteristics are available for manual intervention and therapy and can be used by an osteopathic physician for diagnosis and therapy.

Primary (cellular) respiration is the basis of vital activity

Breath as a global function of the body is a sequential chain of physical, biochemical and physiological reactions, the purpose of which is the generation and accumulation of energy in the body.

On the one hand, for the formation of energy in the body nutrients are needed in the form of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Their supply is provided by the digestive system. On the other hand, oxygen is needed for the processing of nutrients, and it enters the body due to the work of the respiratory system during chest (thoracic) breathing.

The very transformation of the energy of nutrients into the energy of macroergic bonds of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) occurs in the mitochondria of cells. Accumulated energy is necessary to ensure all processes occurring in the body.

The functions of our body are directly dependent on the intake and accumulation of energy. That’s why breathing is called cellular. Since the process of cellular respiration is basic and principal, it is called primary.

Thoracic (chest) respiration and circulation are functional elements of the global respiratory system of the human body. Their functioning has many manifestations including they are registered in the form of undulating rhythmic oscillations with certain qualitative and quantitative characteristics.

These fluctuations, in turn, are available for perceptive diagnosis in the process of osteopathic testing. By changing the chest breathing and cardiovascular rhythm we can judge the state of the primary cellular respiration.

Benevolent care of a person, focused on health, is the basis of effective therapy

Benevolent is a person wishing good to others. The care of a doctor – an osteopath about a patient is manifested by actions aimed at restoring his health and well-being.

We can appreciate the state of a person in its unity only in a neutral state of calm and goodwill, without distinction (independently) from what is happening inside and around. Otherwise, sympathetic noise will drown out perception, distorting it. And then we will only perceive individual elements. And the whole, in its direct connection with the surrounding world, will slip away from us.