osteosam

And heck, in those cases patients tend to feel so warm and fuzzy by the time they leave i’ve literally gotten some osteopathic hugs ;)

Very true. I had a patient recently whose symptoms presented very much like an acute rib dysfunction might. Structurally there was some very mild ‘stuff’ worth working on, but I strongly feel it was the discussing the grief and stress she’d been under for many years, culminating in recent significant health issues, and allowing her to feel she could physically move through the pain she felt without risk to either MSk or systemic health that made the difference. In hindsight I suppose it was a process approach of sorts involving gradually introducing her previously normal ADL’s which got her moving through that pain which resolved as she went. Fear was a huge factor in it all, which all the structural approach in the world would never make a dent in.

Definitely theres a gap between structural approach and what a vast amount of patients need to gain a full resolution… I am currently treating a client with a very stubborn chronic shoulder. Structural approaches have gotten him so far, but will certainly sit down with him and work out a more process approach as we seem to have hit that stagnation stage. Definitely will broaden the approach I take in these sorts of cases particularly.
In general, as discussed above I feel the power of touch along with the power of simply ‘being heard’ plays such a huge huge role in what we achieve. All great food for thought, so to speak.