Find the Health
There's a saying that I love;
“To find health should be the object of the physician. Anyone can find disease.”
Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, Founder of Osteopathy
Although most of my clients are blessed with good health, I have recently been treating a few people with chronic and terminal illnesses. Last week I was treating 2 babies that have sadly had a very difficult start to life. Medically both had a poor prognosis, with the 'wait and see' approach to determine any long-term damage.
However my experience of palpating (listening with my hands) was a feeling of health. To me health has a motion, a fluidity, an ability to shift. This is in contrast to tissues that feel sluggish or disconnected or brittle. It makes sense to work with the potential of health in the body, rather than to limit with a diagnosis. As well as skilled touch from an osteopath or health practitioner, I am a huge advocate of kangaroo care, where the baby is worn in a sling. Benefits include improved oxygen levels, temperature, weight gain, bonding and reduced stress.
I also recommend the following for supporting the health of unwell babies;