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Osteopath
You can't imagine the start of my weekend...
Somehow I managed to make a wrong movement, resulting in a strange noise, followed by blocked neck...
After 10 minutes wondering how the heck I would get out of the bed, I finally managed to move, rollover and get out without being broken.
By now I DO understand why turtles cannot get up when lying on their shield.
Anyhow, I tried to get hold of a osteopath. And lucky me, my friend Koen was willing to give me a treatment on a Saturday evening.
So at around 8PM he ordered me in the strangest positions one can imagine, while pulling and pushing me gently in all directions.
Although in Belgium osteopathy is still not accepted as a regular treatment (and thus one does not get refunded) it does seems logical to me our body is a puzzle and sometimes the pieces loosen up a bit.
Osteopathic principles
These are the eight major principles of osteopathy and are widely accepted throughout the osteopathic community.
(1) The body is a unit.
(2) Structure and function are reciprocally inter-related.
(3) The body possesses self-regulatory mechanisms.
(4) The body has the inherent capacity to defend and repair itself.
(5) When the normal adaptability is disrupted, or when environmental changes overcome the body’s capacity for self maintenance, disease may ensue.
(6) The movement of body fluids is essential to the maintenance of health.
(7) The nerves play a crucial part in controlling the fluids of the body.
(8) There are somatic components to disease that are not only manifestations of disease, but also are factors that contribute to maintenance of the disease state.
These principles are not held by osteopaths to be empirical laws, nor contradictions to orthodox medical principles; they are thought to be the underpinnings of the osteopathic perspective on health and disease.
The result: after Koen finished the treatment, I was able to move my neck again.
Two days later it still hurts a bit but I can assure you that without the treatment things would feel different.
And yes, it turned out to be a wonderful weekend :)
More on osteopathy on wikipedia
Technorati Tags: osteopathy
Posted on December 4, 2006
in Linking context, Living in Belgium
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Comments (4)
Comments
This seems somewhat related to chiropractors or am I wrong?
Posted by Bart | December 4, 2006 10:11 PMCoincidentially I had a similar problem this week -- I stayed up late last weekend and fell asleep in an awkward position so I woke up with an aching neck. I read on the net that you shouldn't rest a sprained neck but should instead move it moderately and do neck exercises once in a while. That worked well. No visits to the doc :)
Posted by Kris Khaira | December 5, 2006 6:47 AMI've visited a "Kraker" as well recently, there's a good one in the Olifantstraat. Just a quick remark Ine: you might have to check with your health insurance. While it isn't an official doctor, must health care companies will refund some of the money. Both mine (Onafhankelijk Ziekenfonds) and my wife's (CM) will refund 10 eur per visit with a maximum of 5 (CM) or 10 (Onafhankelijke, in some cases) visits per year.
Posted by Frank | December 5, 2006 10:12 AMapparently osteopathy gets a refund. Up til 50 euro a year, I was told. SO check it out.
Posted by Ine | December 5, 2006 5:40 PM