The V Law of Osteopathy E-Book

Alan Bergues

• Herausgeber: Editorial Autores de Argentina
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 401

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of Osteopathy, said that our science is young, but the principles or laws that govern it are as ancient as God and as life itself. Knowing those principles and laws is what makes the difference between a novice osteopath and an elite one—between someone who treats a specific type of patient and someone who is prepared to treat all patients in the world, in any situation. That is why this book speaks much more about principles and laws than about techniques, more about mindset and spirit than about lesion chains. To say that osteopathy has evolved is only half true—nothing can go beyond its foundational principles. Therefore, that is the direction we must move toward: a return to what the old doctor taught, the genesis of Osteopathy. Redefining our modern osteopathic paradigm is essential if we want to reach many more people and be as effective as possible. Reading this book will open a spiritual door to our art that can never be closed again. We are entering the best times for our discipline. Seeing greater and better results will become part of our everyday reality. For that, we need the V Law.

Leseprobe

ALAN BERGUES

The V Law of Osteopathy

Bergues, AlanThe V law of osteopathy / Alan Bergues. - 1a ed. - Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires : Autores de Argentina, 2025.

Libro digital, EPUB

Archivo Digital: descarga y online

ISBN 978-987-87-6311-8

1. Medicina. I. Título.CDD 615.533

EDITORIAL AUTORES DE [email protected]

Traducción al Ingles: Lara Legendre y SIlvina Odda @instituto_sunlight

Summary

THE AUTHOR

PROLOGUE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

FIRST SECTION - OSTEOPATHIC PHILOSOPHY

CHAPTER I - WHAT IS OSTEOPATHY?

CHAPTER II - DIALOGUE WITH THE TISSUES

CHAPTER III - THE IMAGES

CHAPTER IV - THE FIFTH LAW OF OSTEOPATHY

CHAPTER 5 - FEAR

CHAPTER VI - FORGIVENESS

SECOND SECTION - THE TRIGEMINAL NERVE AND IT RELATIONSHIPS

CHAPTER VIII - THE TRIGEMINAL NERVE AND ITS RELATIONSHIPS

CHAPTER IX - THE TRIGEMINO-CARDIAC REFLEX

CHAPTER X - IRRITATION FACTORS AND TRIGEMINAL INTERFERENCE

CHAPTER XI - OSTEOPATHIC TREATMENT OF THE TRIGEMINAL NERVE

CHAPTER XII - THE VOICE OF THE TRIGEMINAL

THIRD SECTION - THE FUTURE OF OSTEOPATHY

CHAPTER XIII - THE OSTEOPATHIC MODEL OF THE INTERFACES

CHAPTER XIV - THE YAWN THAT GOD SENDS

EPILOGUE

THE AUTHOR

Alan Bergues is a Kinesiology and Physiotherapy graduate with postgraduate Osteopathy training. He completed his studies at the Osteopathic School of Buenos Aires (EOBA) and took various Posturology courses. Through these courses, he began to develop his approach, with a special focus on the Somatognathic System. He runs his Private Practice in San Martín de los Andes, Neuquén, Argentina.

His greatest obsession during his years of practice has been to confirm osteopathic principles and relate them to the Trigeminal nerve. This book is the culmination of years of work and inspiration, although it opens the door to a new osteopathic model based on the principles taught by A. T. Still.

‘Those who think they know something

do not yet know as they ought to know.

Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

Prologue

A step further

The times in which Andrew Taylor Still lived and developed the philosophical principles of Osteopathy are not the same as those we navigate today, entering the third decade of the third millennium. Almost 150 years have passed, several wars have taken place, some earthquakes have occurred, laboratories are listed on the stock exchange, and humanity has evolved at a dizzying pace in technological matters, even at the expense of its moral and spiritual spheres. On the contrary, Osteopathy may not have evolved proportionally; in fact, it is quite the opposite.

The patients we treat today are much less complex than those treated over 100 years ago, and we are not as efficient as Andrew Taylor Still and his disciples. This may not be an optimistic way to begin a book, but it is a way to view our small osteopathic world today in perspective. We promise to improve as the pages progress.

Considering the above, this book will not have extensive introductions or provide many explanations. We will try to get to what we believe are the osteopathic truths as A. T. Still presented them and not as we adapted them over time. For this reason, there will be extensive references to his books.

Initially, we will discuss the context of Osteopathy in the times of its founder, and in contrast, the reader will make their interpretation of how we develop his vision today. We will explain our work to establish the foundations of what we want to express regarding the original treatment of diseases.

The first part will provide a more philosophical explanation, leaning towards the spiritual aspects of our art. We will discuss how to relate to the Triad (Body, Soul, and Spirit) in a way that is not so mechanical, rigid, or standardized — we would even say ’scientific.’ Here, we will explain the following concepts: we cannot do before being, and what we do cannot be dissociated from what we do in the clinic.

In the second part, the most technical section of the book, we will develop the concept of how to observe the Triad from the perspective of the Stomatognathic System. We will understand that this system is indivisible and inseparable from the ENTIRE Triad, and whatever we do there (even the slightest change or manipulation) will impact our life and health, for better or for worse.

Finally, in the third and last section, we will propose the Model of Interfaces, where we will integrate Philosophy-Spirituality, technique, and the approach of Osteopathy into what we believe will be the next 50 years of our young science.

This book is neither very extensive nor complete of techniques. This brief writing develops a critical philosophical approach to current Osteopathy and our perspectives on the world. Above all, these writings add to and complement the approach of each osteopath without wanting to divide their personal practice. The goal is to make a tiny twist in our work on ‘the machinery’: Man.

We believe that, for Still, there was no energetic or craniosacral Osteopathy nor structural, visceral, or postural. Osteopathy was Osteopathy, period. The osteopath had to be as comprehensive as possible to treat all patients. What we develop here is a tiny piece of the general approach that A.T. Still founded. A part of his approach fits perfectly into his Nature Vision and the approach he used for all his patients. Therefore, the manual therapy will be optimized by connecting that paradigm to your own.

Some personal considerations before you read this book. These are notes that cannot be read without Faith. When we talk about Faith, we do not mean religious or cult faith, but rather the osteopathic belief made flesh. If you are agnostic, these initial ideas are not for you. A minimum level of Faith is needed to understand. It does not have to be much, but it has to be something; with a seed and time, much is achieved, as with Faith. Otherwise, you may find these ideas absurd, unreal, and inapplicable. On the contrary, nothing could be further from the truth since these concepts are applicable... but they require Faith.

Viola Frymann, one of the pioneering apostles of our art, talked about the ‘Law of Faith’ as a component of the spiritual. If you do not believe in anything we will write, do not reject it; store it in your mental hard drive because you may need this information at some point. Do not dump it into the recycling bin; do not discard it.

It is impossible to think of Osteopathy without including Faith because Still began to develop it from Faith: in a Creator God, in Nature, and in his own Faith. It seems that Faith is a divine gift. But that gift comes from a human attitude, which is believing. The divine and the human are linked as a factor of completeness. It is impossible to consider the idea of Still establishing the foundations of Osteopathy after losing his children and wife, fighting in a war, and being sick for a whole year without an emotional and spiritual resource. While many hang up their hats at 65 and begin to stagnate in the waters of creativity, he opened a school of Osteopathy of enormous proportions for the time. One of his best students died. It was his 20-year-old son. Andrew continued. Without Faith, it is impossible to do Osteopathy, change the world, or take the weight off one´s mind.

The same truth applies to Sutherland. Year after year, describing something he was not entirely sure of, his soul fighting against his spirit, his doubts against his Faith, leaving all his resources and health to describe the craniosacral mechanism, the membranes of reciprocal tension... a thought that came by inspiration while observing a skull he had seen a thousand times before. But it started as a sudden rhythmic thought, an idea in motion. Right there, Faith made its appearance. William Garden believed first.

Sutherland said that despite the research, there were aspects of his therapy that would never be found in a laboratory.’ What is that if not Faith? Faith is nothing but being able to visualize the future with ‘the eyes of reason.’ Even a somewhat distant future.

One of the most primitive techniques we osteopaths often use is the ‘Thrust,’ similar to trust, believing, to be confident about Faith. If we do not believe the patient can improve, they may not improve at all. If we do not believe in ourselves, if we do not believe in the patient, if we do not believe in the force of Nature, nothing is likely to happen.

They say Albert Einstein imagined himself travelling on a beam of light. He visualized himself travelling at the speed of light. Then, the whole process of justifying inspiration was the most challenging, of course, but the Special Theory of Relativity began as an image, a mere visualization, an inspiration... ‘God does not play dice.’

In conclusion, we need Faith if we are willing to practise osteopathy based on Still’s principles. Otherwise, we will not reach the maximum expression of this discipline.

The apostle Saint Paul wrote, ‘Without faith, it is impossible to please God.’ We desire that God help us walk this osteopathic path with a bit of this virtue: Faith to relieve our patients and Faith to achieve the maximum level of vocation possible according to our desires. Because Faith never stops.

The old Doctor once said, ‘I quote no author except God and experience.’ We wish we could do the same, as much of what we will write is ideas, inspirations, and not exclusively techniques; it will be tough to validate them with ‘science.’ However, we will appeal to the reader’s heart to judge these concepts and shed some light on what we do in our daily practice (all osteopaths). We may quote some authors, but above all, the giver of ‘Breath,’ that immaterial, intangible thing with which we sometimes try to work without truly knowing what we do.

To finish, we dedicate this book to those who suffer and find no remedy to alleviate that physical suffering.

To them, so much pain and sorrow has not been in vain.

Acknowledgments

It seems that (as the wise say) when an idea’s time has come, nothing can stop it; not even the dreamer’s clumsiness can impediment the crystallization of that eternal dream.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank those who have helped me make this small but significant dream come true. They are listed alphabetically to give importance to each one.

Erika Berlanga C.O.: Thank you for motivating me to aim higher and for being the beautiful model of this book.

Franky Rocher Muñoz D.O.: Thank you for translating Still’s books into Spanish and for your selfless permission to use them.

Georg Miciu: There are few artists with Georg’s talent worldwide. But, honestly, there is no one so humble and helpful. Being very valuable in the market, accepting the creation of a book cover without profit is not for everyone. You are way beyond excellence, Georg!

Hernán Boan: A phenomenal artist!! (luthier, draftsman, and painter); your watercolours are also part of this book’s life. Thanks for your time and willingness. You were another essential part of completing this project.

Isaías Miciu: When another designer saw the cover of this book, he said it was almost impossible to correct a minor technical issue; you solved it in 30 minutes. Absolute excellence.

Laura Rago: Elite designer and artist, a person who believed in the kindness of strangers and merged, generously and altruistically, into the spirit of this idea. I will always be grateful for your time and delicate work. You were the fairy godmother who brought Geppetto’s work to life!

Silvana Martín, extraordinary Dentist: Sil, dear... You will always inspire me. Thank you for your time, willingness to study, and teaching. You are an essential part of this book. My deepest gratitude!

Mom: Thanks for your photos and always being in my life with your unconditional support and love. I’m eternally grateful.

For their advice and time, they helped to set the machine in motion: Mariana García, cranial therapist, and Jorge Albarracín with ‘Fundación Fábrica de Artistas.’

To the well-intentioned dentists who taught us much of what is written here, to the patients who inspire and challenge us every day,

to our teachers and those who inspired us with their dedication and commitment, I am indebted to you all!

I want to express my special and sincere appreciation to Luis Otaño, D.O., and Laura Legal, D.O., director of the Osteopathy School of Buenos Aires.

To the ones who, with their pain, inspired this book, thank you forever...

FIRST SECTION

OSTEOPATHIC PHILOSOPHY

CHAPTER I

WHAT IS OSTEOPATHY?

LET US GET ON THE SAME PAGE

‘Now is the time and place to save life.’

-A. T. Still

‘We have only scratched the surface of what

Dr. Still saw in the science of Osteopathy.

Let’s not relax, we must keep digging!’

-Will Gardner Sutherland

Let us begin by defining our vocation and ‘calling,’ as the historical figures named it. Basically, A. T. Still said that we were called as Philosophers and Engineers to bring the human body from a state of disease to a state of health. Nothing more and nothing less. Was there any limit to this concept of ‘disease’? The great doctor answered, ‘No, there wasn’t.’ Under no circumstances did A. T. Still talk about ‘Functional’ diseases, as we do today. Was there any limit to this concept of ‘health?’ Yes, leaving the body in the paradox of the Perfection in which God had created it. For him, there was no pattern of results less than perfection because, for Nature, there was no imperfect state of things.

Moving from one state to the other was the goal. Because, we insist, for him, ‘diseases’ did not exist; hepatitis was the same as sciatica, pneumonia the same as diphtheria or gout. Still did not understand the medical diagnosis as such, but he taught about an Effect or a State. It was the loss of an ideal situation of chaotic order that mutated into a pattern of blocked and ordered fluids, with the body’s inability to adapt. Depending on the importance of such blockage (and its location), it would be the state of disease or what we currently know as ‘Diagnosis.’ That is why, when they called him to a house or went to his school, it could be for a complicated birth, a flu, or kidney colic; it was all the same. The Osteopath had to choose between a treatment system that generated tumours or one that removed them. So, they treated the irritated nerve in the urogenital system by turning back time, cleaning impurities, and rebuilding, or they drugged the patient. Tumour was not a bad word and did not cause discomfort in that unlimited osteopathic mind. It was something that, in time, could be treated and resolved. Otherwise, surgery would be required.

‘Osteopathy is the law of God, and anyone who can improve God’s law is better than Him. Osteopathy opens your eyes to see it clearly. Its practice encompasses all phases of disease and is the law that keeps life in motion.’

ATS

We insist there were no limits to the personal and mental art he developed; he had understood almost all human architecture and where the river of life was altered. He evaluated the superstructure called Man and worked on a nerve, artery, vein, and lymph node; he would release the spine, and he knew for certain whether that patient would live or not, whether they would recover, or if there would be sequelae. He understood when to treat the Brain or a Neural Nucleus. He understood how the ‘Temple of the Machinery of Life’ determines a pattern of tissue repair. That is why he did not care about diagnoses; he only cared about where the blockage of life had settled to determine the current state.

We can say that Osteopathy was not born to treat people with tension, improve an athlete’s performance, or treat functional diseases; it was born to treat pathology with the Law of the Artery approach and mental and spiritual transmission as a standard.

According to its founder, we represent the ‘only exact healing method. ‘ Why? Because the machinery only responds when treated by its own nature: Accuracy, anatomy, and transference. It is high time we dressed up for the final celebration of this ‘Beautiful Truth’ called Osteopathy.

Shall we go for a Definition?

There are not many definitions of our profession. In a way, that is very positive; it means that the vast majority of osteopaths worldwide and throughout history, over 150 years, more or less agree on the same criteria. However, defining our profession is not easy. Still himself never considered providing an exact and closed academic definition of his Art to which we could adhere today.

What should be considered, though, is that if Sutherland claimed that Still had seen much more and that we are not reaching it, then we are missing the point. It was not said by just by any osteopath. It was noted by one of the most extraordinary Therapists in history. Something is escaping from our hands; something is missing from our Focus. Let’s see if we can return to the foundations and to what the great master was so concerned about... ‘keeping it pure...’

Fundamentally, it is Manual Therapy or Medicine, which is true in 99.9% of cases. The healing process can be enabled on certain occasions without touching the body. How should that hand need to be? Extremely precise. Still compared it to a thermometer regarding the precision level to diagnose the skin’s temperature and underlying chemical processes. Treating local or global congestion was the key to being ‘healers.’ Accurate diagnosis was the mission.

We can state then that this view is Holistic; nothing could be more specific. Viscera, cranium, muscles, membranes, veins, everything is connected, and we know it. (Fascia, Embryology, Energy, spirit, etc). But, in reality, that is a concept of Wholeness. When we use the term Holistic, we use it in connection with the rest of mortals, our ancestors, nature, values, God, the universe, the Earth, etc. We are part of a great Eternal Gear from which we can never separate ourselves. We cannot deny our History; our relationships shape us like the potter shapes the clay, and our passions and visualizations lead us where we want to go without consciously knowing it. We are a Holon, complete in ourselves and able to complete other systems and stories.

We also know that Osteopathy is a Philosophy; Still more than anyone affirmed this, to the extent that he envisioned the Osteopaths of the future more as philosophers standing at the Summit of Reason than as therapists in the strict sense of the word. He wanted Osteopaths to use the Eye of Reason to discover the reasons for diseases and expose surgery as something useless and deceitful. It can also be said that Osteopathy does not contradict Allopathic Medicine, which is not entirely true. No one attacked the medical paradigm more fiercely than Still, seeking to open the minds of well-intentioned doctors. Even in his time, when he requested the opportunity to present and explain The Art at Baldwin University, a place he had helped establish, the doors were closed to him. With its immense ego, it is almost impossible for Medicine (as a system) to embrace our Art, as it goes against its fundamental principles. However, there is an increasing openness among individuals in the field of Natural Medicine who embrace our paradigm. The gap is normal, even healthy. The many results of Osteopathy will only widen the gap between those who are doubling down on technological advances and those who want to return to nature. Each person will decide their path.

Osteopathy was born as a counterculture; it has not come to complete other paradigms but to perfect itself over time.

Does this mean that Osteopaths should isolate themselves from the world? Can we not work in hospitals or clinics? No, it simply means we must not contaminate ourselves with ‘other gods.’ The gap is about paradigms and methods, not geographical or verbal violence. We must take our rightful place in society, its institutions, and its structures but not conform to its paradigms or fearful limitations. Even less should we allow ourselves to be restricted by them.”

‘An Osteopath asks no favours from Drugs.’

A.T. STILL

It can be said that it is a way of seeing the body, soul, and spirit (as the old Doctor stated). We are talking about a diagnostic and treatment approach. We say it is a Medicine based on Four Principles developed by Andrew Taylor Still, which the osteopathic academy synthesizes, reproduces, and teaches worldwide. The principles are absolute and eternal, meaning they confirm themselves and are true despite the time and their application, either in China, France, or the Congo. Tomorrow, there may be a scientific study that contradicts the previous one; that is why Osteopathy is based on principles that do not change, not only in science or technique, which also makes Osteopathy different. There will always be science in Osteopathy, but above all, there will always be Principles. It cannot be denied that the Technique has evolved a lot, or at least that is what we want to believe, although the principles remain the same.

(Has the Technique evolved...?)

What do Osteopaths of the present have to think, describe, and project? The answer is : Principles, not many techniques. Perhaps it is time to stop describing techniques and develop philosophy; technique rusts, but principles last forever. Still said these principles are as ancient as Life itself and God. It is time for Osteopathy to evolve through principles because we have already learned and mastered the Technique effectively.

‘It is the philosophy of Osteopathy that the Osteopath needs; that is why it is essential for you to know this philosophy, or you will fail and go no further than the pure charlatanism of ‘trial and error.’

-A.T. STILL

We can say with certainty that Osteopathy, like Medicine, is one of the most significant facets of the Art of healing. What sets it apart from the rest of the ‘complementary’ or holistic therapies, which have great semantics and argumentation? Osteopathy does not seek to justify itself; it LISTENS to the body, which is the secret of its ‘Success.’ Other therapies listen to the patient, conduct studies, accept perception and intuition, do not harm, use their hands, but do not listen as much as Osteopathy. Osteopathic students are not just students of techniques or approaches but ‘Students of Life.’ For this reason, our job is also to listen to the soul and the spirit.

They say it was challenging to comprehend what Still was doing while treating a patient, as he did not show individual techniques but taught principles applied to each individual, live and in person. That’s why we are in a serious problem if a patient can define what we are doing in their body and take it as a pattern repeatable or reproducible in all situations and for all people. We insist that the patient should not have a clear interpretation of what we do; the session should end surrounded by a halo of mystery, waiting for feedback and resolution. It is dangerous for Osteopathy to be pigeonholed or for us to have ‘treatment protocols.’

Osteopathy is a work of Art

We all understand that with the same tools, brushes, clays, and palettes, it is impossible for two artists to achieve the same painting, the same work with identical technique; this happens because Art is personal, individual, and often almost irrational, subconscious, uncontrollable. Transferable and untransferable. Just as the fingerprint of the hands in each person is personal, so is the Art they develop. Therefore, one osteopath cannot be the same as another. Their hands, their prints, and their spiritual forms are different. They have their imprint and character. That is their own transfer, which is not transferable.

In his book ‘Osteopathy: Models of Diagnosis, Treatment, and Practice,’ Jon Parsons puts it this way:

‘Osteopathy is what osteopaths do.’

That is why we must be Artists (‘Philosophers’); the essence of our profession compels us, and the use of our hands and eyes compels us. If one osteopath is the same as another, one of the two is not practising Osteopathy. Each osteopath must discover themselves within Osteopathy. We may be similar, but never identical.

‘The fingers that think, feel, and see are our instruments. They feel and see how the tissue moves; this Art is known as Osteopathy.’

-Dr. William Garner Sutherland

The osteopathic act is a Transfer, a Connection beyond the material. Anyone unaware of this loses a significant part of that sublime moment, which makes time neither pass too quickly nor too slowly and gives us Purpose.

‘The Great Inventor of the Universe, through the union of mind and matter, has built the most wonderful machine, Man. Osteopathy fully demonstrates that it is capable of functioning without the aid of whiskey, opium, and other poisons.’

A.T. STILL

The fundamental idea of Osteopathy is to link the Creator, the mind, and matter through hands. In this book, we will develop that concept: the union between Mind and Matter through their Interfaces and the operative hand.

Osteopathy can sometimes be Structure, other times Function, Fluids, Induction, Beats, or Nothing. Sometimes, it is to disintegrate a chain, and others to integrate a person. Sometimes, it is Thoughts, other times an Error and learning, but other times..., and this is what this book aims at, sometimes it is spirit and images -the union of mind and matter-. When such a combination is achieved, then the Osteopathy that Still and Sutherland dreamed of is practiced. Everything before was the previous training for that moment.

Let us understand that Osteopathy is not a definition, concept, or idea; that is perhaps why it does not say much from etymology and is difficult to explain because it is much more than what the word itself contains. The word ‘table’ can only contain one thing, one image, just like the words ‘egg’ or ‘moon’ or ‘cat’ or ‘tall,’... but the word Osteopathy has not yet been defined, and the day we manage to define, it is the day we will know that there is not much more to write about it. We will be there at the zenith of times for our discipline regarding its potential.

Viola Frymann said that many of our patients suffer from a condition she called Spiritual Starvation, which is a serious cause of illnesses. According to physical laws, humans can amplify their reach and potential, whether we know those laws or not. The same applies to spiritual laws; the key is to get to know them in order to use them and, therefore, allow our patients to have an epiphany and heal their lives. Often, Osteopathy is about revealing a person’s life story in a couple of minutes ( regarding an “injury”). Few things are more spiritual than that. Let the patient have contact with their disintegrated body and start the healing and integration process. As it is known, becoming aware is the first step to healing.

Technique rusts; that is why we need a different approach to the person from the emotional, philosophical, spiritual, and disease perspectives that we will address in the coming years.

‘We are facing an urgent need for change today, a need to take a step forward in treating illness.’

-A.T. STILL

Let’s make Art with Osteopathy. Let’s be artists. We are not just manual therapists. We are Artists.

Returning to the basics

We do not believe that Osteopathy has evolved much since Still’s original conception. Even the modern osteopathic revolution will be based more on returning to ancient principles rather than presenting better scientific studies and more refined techniques.

It is said that nobody knew the body like A.T. Still. For this reason, we consider that to achieve a greater understanding of what we do daily, we must immerse ourselves in the depth of the Mind of the Great Osteopath. That is where we are heading.

Still thought about the Osteopath as an individual with the highest level of existing Focus. He was highly demanding of his students and even more of himself. He was a spirited and controversial critic of medicine during his professional lifetime. He knew that the first lesson for an Osteopath was Anatomy, the second lesson was Anatomy, and after that, there was more Anatomy and Physiology (function). For him, the knowledge of Normal Anatomy that an Osteopath should have was ‘Proficient.’ To enter the treatment rooms of his school, he said that students had to score 90 out of 100 in Anatomy. Still claimed that Osteopaths had no time to “drink beer, party, go to the pool, or play billiards.” Absolute Focus (“Sober Minds”) on Anatomy and Physiology to find out what the disease was, for Still, that was the only way to live. Perhaps many of us are not up to the circumstances of that call, but when a man is asked to change history, the price to pay is much higher. How far do we want to reach as Osteopaths? Well, that will be our result, our reality will never surpass our Beliefs and Focus.

‘An Osteopath must be clear-headed, sober, conscientious, and a truth lover. He should never speak until he has found and proved the truth he claims to know.’

-A.T. STILL

The work of a lifetime

What do we mean when we say that Osteopathy has not evolved? We convey the idea that no mortal has surpassed the level of perspective of its creator. He called it ‘Infinite Accuracy.’ At this point, the Osteopath’s job comes to an end, when they reach that point of perfect accuracy. What is accuracy?

It is the accomplished achievement of Harmony, synonymous with Health. We believe we should not hesitate but have the right attitude. Still said that his duty throughout his life was not to build a school and train thousands of students in a few years., but to to study the machinery (human body) to perfection. Studying Anatomy was his sole duty. After 50 years, he had achieved a certain degree of perfection but said he still needed to learn some things.

‘Day by day, we must show our evolution.’

-A.T. STILL

The trained modern osteopathic mind

Our healthcare systems around the world have eagerly consumed the minds of osteopaths and indoctrinated them in how to think and what mental limits to have. They even told us which patients to treat and which ones not to. Still did not have them regarding Osteopathy, which is why he was so critical of the paradigms of the healing Art. When Still introduced Osteopathic Medicine, he knew it was to save lives, not to treat people with a contracted or slightly painful spine. A diagnostic error in an Osteopath of the early years meant losing a patient’s life; it was the triumph of death over life.

If a patient comes to our practice with Erysipelas, we hesitate not to treat them and refer them to a hospital emergency room. The legal industry of malpractice still intimidates us. But for Andrew, that was a simple case. Erysipelas, Pneumonia, Mumps, Measles, Diphtheria, Appendicitis, complicated deliveries with a risk of death, for all that, Osteopathy was there in its early days. To make a mistake was to give way to death. Death ensued if the Law of the Artery and Vein was not well diagnosed and applied. Making nutrients enter the body and waste leave should be the “great concern of Osteopaths.” How terrible and spiritually heavy mental oppression an Osteopath of the early days should have felt when called to treat a patient! That is why Still often use bellicose terms when referring to our art.

ATS was one of the few Osteopaths throughout history who achieved what we call Perfect Listening. This is the masterful knowledge of Anatomy and Function with the maximum empirical resolution. Knowing what specific force and pressure to use and its concrete repercussions. How long did it take him? He himself affirms it: 50 years of focused attention on the body. Hundreds of dissections and more than a hundred thousand patients were treated. Still could treat severe flu and infectious diseases in children and save their lives without antibiotics. Still thought that the average outcome in the most dreaded pathologies was 75 percent. The rest was child’s play and work for a novice Osteopath. He found which exact fibers of the Vagus Nerve were affected... ‘he must show his ability to go beyond the musty bread of symptomatology...’ That was the battle of Osteopathy.

Still had declared war on the mechanical cause of diseases. His main weapon was the Law of the Artery and Vein, and his shield was the extremely fine knowledge of Structure and Function. When he spoke of mechanical causes, he referred to arterial, venous, lymph nodes, nervous, and spiritual blockages or interruptions, not necessarily an “ERS” (Extension, Rotation, and Side-bending).

What is the therapeutic limit of Osteopathy?

He still believed that his Philosophy had no limits—literally. There were no limits!! This man’s mind was mighty, and his level of Focus and conviction was supernatural—without exaggeration. What was the limit? We insist, none. This inspired man said that the work of the Osteopath ends when the body is adjusted to the level of perfection in which the God of Nature created it—nothing more and nothing less than perfection.

A.T.Still practised deliveries as an Osteopath to safeguard the lives of the child and mother from possible emergency nervous and vascular blockages. The only way we can be at the peak of reason is to be present in the mostwonderful act of life: childbirth. That’s why Osteopaths must rise to the occasion all over the planet. How does the world see us? Then, that is the image we are projecting. Generally, and over time, the world makes not-so-inaccurate readings of what it sees. We can be bone and vertebral adjusters, or we can be ‘philosopher-navigators hunting diseases.’ We can have a limited vision to treat 5 to 6 tense people per day and see them once a month so they do not tense up or the vertebra does not ‘misalign’ again. It depends on us.

‘Osteopathy is knowledge, or it is nothing...’

So, let us choose the unlimited vision of art and wonder if we see ourselves reflected in our work.

Note: The visual artist does not work on a canvas and does not focus so much on the frame, the stretcher, or the technique. They think in colours, lights, shadows, abstractions, projections, and symbolisms. The structure is not everything in the work of an Osteopath, although that is the final image that is visualized, like a painter’s canvas. There is much more than the structure during an osteopathic session (if the therapist is an artist).

What is the framework of Osteopathy?

Some time ago, a well-known philosopher wrote that the therapist should sublimate their sexual energy in the therapeutic act. This can confuse the reader, and worse, some therapists may follow such advice. If that is our spirit, we will end up having intimate relationships with several of our patients. Once the decorum limit is crossed, returning is very difficult. The absolute framework of the therapeutic act is Loving Respect, even fraternal. One can never engage in intimate relationships with a patient because this will be the beginning of the end of the Magic.

“The improvement of pathology can continue with treatment for years. In many cases, the faith and love that only a mother is capable of giving is a valuable accompaniment.”

Harold Ives Magoun

That’s why when Still spoke of medical gynaecological treatment in relation to osteopathic treatment, he said:

‘My mother shall not be slaughtered; my wife shall not be butchered, nor my daughter stripped and exposed.’

When I treat a patient, I treat a brother, a father, a mother, a sister. It is in this respectful framework where magical results lovingly occur.

‘Osteopathy is a science that analyzes and discovers that man is a participant in Divine Intelligence.

God manifests himself in matter, movement, and mind. Study its manifestations well.’

ATS

What does that mean? Most often, we can find God moving along the path while treating a patient. You just have to keep your eyes open. Let us not stop expecting wonders every now and then in our consultations. If you are a person of faith, do not doubt that one of these days, you might feel God walking through your practice.

In the end, what are we Osteopaths for Still, what is our identity in this profession...? Let’s see if we fit into any of these words:

Healers, Philosophers, Engineers, Soldiers, Men and Women without Fear and lovers of Truth; Mechanical Masters, Electricians reviving suspended forces, Revolutionaries in the way of healing and knowledge; individuals with a strong sense of duty; Observers, Navigators, and Travelers in continuous search, an independent wolf when a dog approaches, an eagle in search of truth, philosophical machinists. Applicators of the laws of Life, soldiers fighting to free chained bodies, Connectors of the Divine Mind and Nature, children of the Divine Mind, men of peace and goodwill, masters and perfectionists of Art, the music of hands... believers in signs, those who paddle their own canoe, and...

Those who know they can trust Nature to the end...

When these words and stigmas become flesh in our minds, there is no other path than to fulfil our Purpose... which is to ignite the spark in people’s bodies and make music in their fibres...

Then, the state of Health will be crystallized as a result...

Whatever our individual and corporate identity may be, so will be the results and the fame of this counterculture worldwide. Therefore, let’s also work on our identity for better results.

As A.T. STILL said: “The time has come when we can do better...”

Recommended Readings

1. In this book, many of the writings of Andrew Taylor Still will be discussed and cited; therefore, his bibliography should be consulted and interpreted by all Osteopaths. The summarized books are freely available on the web or fully translated into Spanish by Franki Rocher Muñoz.

2. “Osteopathy in the Cranial Field” by William Garner Sutherland.

3. “Los Dedos que Piensan” (The Thinking Fingers) by Adah Strand Sutherland. Published by the Cranial Academy. Translated by Franki Rocher Muñoz.

4. “Osteopatía: Modelos de Diagnóstico, Tratamiento y Práctica” (Osteopathy: Models of Diagnosis, Treatment, and Practice) by Jon Parsons and Nicholas Marcer. Published by Elsevier.

5. “Osteopatía en el Ámbito Craneal” (Osteopathy in the Cranial Field) by Harold Ives Magoun. Published in 1951. Translated into Spanish by Franki Rocher Muñoz.

CHAPTERII

DIALOGUE WITH THE TISSUES

Josh said to Diphtheria: ‘I want you to stop

annoying those little children, for they must go

to school, so no more of your meddling with them.’

ATS - Autobiography

‘Tell them there is some hope...’

ATS - Autobiography

Much has been said about the “Dialogue with the Tissues.” However, we do not always take the time to meditate on this well-known concept in the osteopathic academy. It is a common misconception/ fallacy to believe that an osteopath’s duty does not involve considering and meditating on a concept or idea. Quite the opposite, pondering and reflecting on a notion or conception is intrinsically linked to our nature and calling.

Therefore, let’s start meditating...

When we talk about ‘di-a-logue,”’we basically understand that there is communication between two parties, where the ‘logue’ (the word) plays a leading role, a back-and-forth, an exchange, some feedback, which is nothing more than a two-way street (dia): an affectionate, open, sincere, and expectant one. It is, at best, a friendship. That interaction between the osteopath and the patient is DIALOGUE. Otherwise, it is a mere monologue (which is what some osteopaths perform during consultations). ‘Communication’ is (nothing more than) a joint action with a dual sense and a common purpose: Exchange. It is neither passive nor unidirectional; quite the opposite. That is nothing more and nothing less than the therapeutic act between the patient and our hands, which are responsible for transferring nature, meaning much more than performing an osteopathic technique as the most basic level of treatment.

Communication styles vary depending on the person, and interactions with the same individual can change over time. The writer Ernesto Sábato once said : ‘We wear a mask, a mask that is never the same but changes for each of the roles we are assigned in life...’- Sobre héroes y tumbas-. Something similar happens with the therapeutic act. That is why this dialogue always occurs at different levels and with various modalities; although the interest is always the same: inter-change. Trans-action. And sometimes, negotiation. We always talk about information (with its different versions), always between two parts.

The body always understands the language of the Hand because it is its own. The Hand must translate the language of the body to the Osteopath and the Patient. However, we must understand that, in fact, it is the same information but with different resonances and resonators. Why do the patient and the osteopath feel and interpret the same therapeutic phenomenon so differently?

Answering that question is part of the osteopath’s job, in addition to attending as an observer to this phenomenon. Let’s think that occasionally, we are observers of one of the most beautiful mysteries of Life: a person’s healing.

Let us start analyzing this vast subject.

The actual dialogue with the tissues is mental, spiritual, and manual, not just with the hand. Let us not be confused; it is much more complex if we can open our minds.

The dialogue with the tissues occurs on three levels:

1 – With the spirit of the person

2 – With the treated structure

3 – With the patient

1 – Dialogue with the spirit of the person

When we talk about the spirit, we do not refer to a shapeless and incorporeal ghost inside the patient’s body, but we refer to the essence of whoever walks through our office door.

The moment the patient steps into the office, we have to start our first dialogue. This first dialogue is at a non-conscious and indirect level. From the cleanliness of the office to the colours, everything speaks, even what the patient heard about our reputation before scheduling an appointment, generating a high level of expectation and commitment. We will not dwell too much here; it is just a suggestion: Seek excellence in your private practice and pay attention to details; this is also part of the treatment.

On the other hand, returning to the initial point, the session should ideally begin with an internal question directed toward the individual’s spirit: Is there anything you wish to convey to me or to ‘So-and-so’ (the patient)? This question is intended to operate at the cognitive level and, more importantly, to engage with the individual’s spirit.”

The moment we make contact with the patient during a Listening session, an exchange of information should occur through a subtle, internal, and open-ended inquiry. This approach constitutes an attitude, one that is always facilitated through the hands, guided by intention, and sustained by focused attention. Periodically, insights may emerge from the tissues—providing somatic information—and occasionally, deeper insights may arise. This deeper level of awareness is of a more spiritual nature, pertaining to the individual’s true and authentic self. It is associated with their spirit, pure intentions, intuition, genetic code, and inner child, as well as their fears and uncertainties.

We are Osteopaths, not spiritualists; however, when an informational blockage occurs at another level and hinders the patient’s healing, we can and should intervene—provided the spirit allows it.

Torsten Liem, in his work Craniosacral Osteopathy, articulates the following:

When the immobile point is established, a progressive sense of tranquillity is indeed both in the patient and within the interpersonal interaction between the therapist and the patient. This may give rise to a more profound state of rest or generalized peace, wherein both the therapist and the patient can perceive the revelation of a deeper aspect of the organism. According to Becker, this peace serves as the source of all energy, centring the entirety of the organism and each of its molecules. A dynamic interaction can be directly experienced between force and peace or rest, as well as an exchange process that occurs throughout the organism—balanced, rhythmic, and dynamic—interfacing between physiology and this state of peace.

Enthusiasm as a Healing Factor

As osteopaths, we have all undergone a process of evolution and refinement in our techniques over the years. It would now seem inconceivable to practice as we did five or six years ago as young osteopaths, or even ten years ago for those with more experience. In fact, we would almost regard such an approach as an osteopathic sacrilege, or, at the very least, a source of considerable embarrassment. The question then arises: Why did patients improve? I believe that The Triad interpreted our enthusiasm and had no alternative but to heal, responding to such a form of human innocence—one that is not material, but somewhat superior in nature; one might even argue that the body has responded with a form of affectionate tenderness.

It is noteworthy that the term “enthusiasm” derives from the Greek word “entheos,” meaning “with God within.” This concept represents a healing factor that The Triad embraces, given its inherently spiritual nature.

We must, therefore, consider it a professional obligation to attend to our patients only when we are genuinely enthusiastic about entering our practice space. Should we lose our passion for our vocation, it becomes imperative to seek new learning opportunities. While experience and technical proficiency may lead to positive outcomes in our practice, without the infusion of passion and enthusiasm, we are likely to fall short of attaining the full potential of our therapeutic results.

It is essential that we strive to rid ourselves of the cynicism that often arises from routine, which is erroneously equated with ‘maturity.’

Ultimately, enthusiasm frees us from the burden of being technically perfect and diagnostically precise, yet it leads to greater human results. Enthusiasm allows the novice and fervent osteopath to achieve the same as the experienced and disheartened one.

A grateful person wrote a small poem published in Still’s Autobiography, referencing his life, character, and art. Here is a brief excerpt:

‘Thus spoke the man of iron will and unshakable faith,’

-The courageous A.T. Still.

All thanks to the enthusiastic heart

That, along with its bitter burning,

Stood firm before the scornful lip,

Ironical smiles of contempt,

And the darkest and saddest poverty,

Held firmly to the grand purpose;

The purpose of fulfilling the plan

“Man was created in His image.”

A.T. Still would not have become who he was had he not possessed a heart as fervent as few. In other words, there can be no “realistic” (pessimistic) osteopaths.

The Osteopath as Translator and Exegete

If we are permitted to employ a religious concept—so to speak—to draw a comparison with our Art, we shall refer to Exegesis. An exegete is an interpreter of the most sacred and complex writings in human history: the Bible. Let us not be deterred by this notion, and regardless of our personal beliefs, let us remain open to these ideas.

Exegetes assert that an entire lifetime is insufficient to fully grasp the depth of knowledge contained within these Scriptures. A similar principle applies to osteopaths and their “Book”: the Human Being, understood as a triad of body, soul, and spirit.

‘To know all of a bone in its entirety would close both ends of an eternity.’

-A.T. STILL