an excerpt from my journal
this is a bit lengthy, but i just thought i'd share. i dunno WHERE these thoughts came from, but i started writing and this is what came out. This is after I read "The Cranial Bowl" by Dr. Sutherland, who tested his theories on himself, the father of cranial osteopathy.
"...For me, I think I need more scientific evidence. I can understand the basic concept of CSF flow and releasing blockage of that flow to create a state of balance--and I guess that's enough for now.
I think our profession needs to employ more research to gain credibility among our patietns, the scientific/medical community and most importantly among ourselves. I understand the importance of having faith--and it seems the roots of osteopathy come from Dr. Still's faith(it is rumored he prayed and what came of it was osteopathy)--but if we are to thrive in this era where medicine predominates, we need to provide a way for outsiders to understand and believe in the concepts and ideas ingrained in the osteopathic philosophy.
Something I've realized--maybe not realized but finally witnessed--is that in the osteopathic community, ther exists a spectrum between DO's who really wish they were MD's and DO's who might as well be faith-healers(i.e. my preceptor). I like to think I fall between the 2 extremes and I hope that the majority of my colleagues fall in the same range.
I think the beauty of modern osteopathy is that it is a great marriage between osteopathic/holistic principles and modern Western Medicine. It is the best balance and I feel what will be most beneficial to our patients.
At each end of the spectrum lies a huge amount of faith; faith thata this drug you prescribe works and faith that this technique will be effective. Ultimately, the patietn is putting his/her faith in you to make the decision that is best for thier situation. As osteopaths we have a myriad of options for our patients, giving them a better chance of getting the optimum care they need.
"...For me, I think I need more scientific evidence. I can understand the basic concept of CSF flow and releasing blockage of that flow to create a state of balance--and I guess that's enough for now.
I think our profession needs to employ more research to gain credibility among our patietns, the scientific/medical community and most importantly among ourselves. I understand the importance of having faith--and it seems the roots of osteopathy come from Dr. Still's faith(it is rumored he prayed and what came of it was osteopathy)--but if we are to thrive in this era where medicine predominates, we need to provide a way for outsiders to understand and believe in the concepts and ideas ingrained in the osteopathic philosophy.
Something I've realized--maybe not realized but finally witnessed--is that in the osteopathic community, ther exists a spectrum between DO's who really wish they were MD's and DO's who might as well be faith-healers(i.e. my preceptor). I like to think I fall between the 2 extremes and I hope that the majority of my colleagues fall in the same range.
I think the beauty of modern osteopathy is that it is a great marriage between osteopathic/holistic principles and modern Western Medicine. It is the best balance and I feel what will be most beneficial to our patients.
At each end of the spectrum lies a huge amount of faith; faith thata this drug you prescribe works and faith that this technique will be effective. Ultimately, the patietn is putting his/her faith in you to make the decision that is best for thier situation. As osteopaths we have a myriad of options for our patients, giving them a better chance of getting the optimum care they need.
posted by Hedwig @ 9:10 PM
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