An animal osteopath’s role in supporting homeostasis As an animal osteopath, I work to support the intricate balance of homeostasis in my animal patients. As we looked at previously, Homeostasis, the body’s ability to maintain internal stability despite external changes, is crucial for optimal health and well-being in animals, just as it is in humans….

Understanding Homeostasis Homeostasis comes from the Greek words “homeo” meaning “similar” and “stasis” meaning “standing still.” It refers to the remarkable ability of our bodies to maintain a stable internal environment despite external challenges. An animal’s internal state thrives within a very specific range of conditions, and homeostasis acts as a regulatory control system to ensure these internal…

A Key to Optimal Health The animal body is a complex system of balance and adaptability, and it relies on the interplay of two essential processes – allostasis and homeostasis – to maintain harmony. Animal osteopathic practitioners must understand this dynamic interchange to help the body’s natural self-healing and self-regulation mechanisms work effectively. This understanding…

Finding ‘the health’ in a dynamic system Founder of osteopathy, Dr Andrew Taylor Still’s quote “To find health should be the object of the doctor. Anyone can find disease”, encapsulates his philosophical approach to health and the core principles of osteopathy. Part of the osteopathic approach to treating the animal patient lies in understanding the…

Systems thinking in osteopathy An animal’s body functions as a complex interconnected system, and this complexity becomes especially evident when areas of dysfunction and imbalance disrupt harmony and equilibrium. For many osteopaths, this is observed when they first encounter the animal, and what follows is a thorough investigation process ahead of determining an appropriate course…

Osteopathic Context In the last blog, we looked at interpreting the meaning of the following passage by T.S. Eliot, commonly used within osteopathic circles. In this blog we look to connect the passage with osteopathic philosophy and understanding. “At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;Neither from nor towards; at the…

What does this passage mean? “At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity, Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point,…

Critical reflection is an essential part of osteopathic practice. When arriving on a yard to treat a horse or in our clinic to treat a canine patient, it is essential to remember that not everything will always unfold as anticipated. Sometimes things are unpredictable, as is the nature of life. This unpredictability reminds us of…

Part 3: Beyond the symptoms – the philosophy (and ‘calling’) of Osteopathy In previous posts, we discussed the art and science of osteopathy, but at the core of osteopathy lies the guiding philosophy that shapes everything we do. As osteopaths, our approach to the individual animal incorporates body, mind, and spirit – the mechanical, physiological,…