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​Osteopathy's  guiding principles have a basis in the healing power of nature believing that:

“The body is not a machine but a vital living organism with a normal tendency towards self-healing, elimination and health” and that: “Health is not merely an absence of disease but a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing.” (1)

In contrary to conventional medicine’s use of pharmaceuticals to treat pathogens osteopaths believed that disease developed due to certain factors lowering the vital force of a person affecting their capacity to heal.

Some of the ways that the early osteopaths and currently Classical School osteopaths aim to encourage the vital processes is through:

• Releasing contracted muscles and other tissues,
• Helping underactive tissues to contract
• Adjusting and balancing joints, bones, ligaments and tendons to each other and to the rest of the body.
• Release of peripheral nerves and nerve centres to relax tight tissues and improve flow to tissues lacking sensation and strength.

Another important principle of osteopathy stems from their belief that it is impossible to treat a painful or injured area in isolation and that it is necessary to address the problem as part of the whole body. The body adapts to a painful knee for example; however, this affects other parts causing pain and loss of rhythm and coordination in walking and other movements.

The aim of treatment is to assist in restoring rhythm and coordination as well as achieving a stable, unified structure for long term recovery.

(1) What is classical osteopathy?

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) is a specialized massage technique aimed at stimulating the lymphatic system.
This system is responsible for maintaining fluid balance, supporting immune function, and removing waste products from the body.
MLD involves gentle, rhythmic strokes that encourage the movement of lymph fluid, which can help reduce swelling, improve circulation, and enhance overall health.
Here are some of the benefits of MLD for the body:

• It has a calming, anti-stress effect which can facilitate the easing of  pain and the reduction of blood pressure. It can also stimulate the immune defence system within the body.
• It brings about a change in the autonomic nervous system, lowering the "Sympathetic" nervous system (daytime / flight nerves) and accentuating the night / rest nerves of the "Parasympathetic" nervous system.
• MLD reduces pain by exciting the "touch receptors" in the skin which produce an inhibitory or blocking signal to the brain, with the correct application.
• It is incredibly relaxing; some patients fall asleep during treatment.
  

 ​Manual Lymphatic Drainage  complements osteopathic principles by supporting the body’s natural healing processes, particularly through lymphatic stimulation, enhancing detoxification, and promoting fluid balance.

Here are some conditions that may benefit from  the use of MLD in an osteopathic treatment:

• Acute injuries and bruising - MLD speeds up tissue recovery, gently reduce swelling and improve local circulation.
• Post-Joint replacement surgery - MLD reduces excessive swelling and may  improve healing and recovery
• Chronic conditions like osteo and rheumatoid arthritis – MLD helps remove inflammatory mediators, relaxes the nervous system, relaxes tight muscles and promotes fluid movement.
• Headaches and Migraines - helps relieves tension in the neck, reduces inflammation, and promotes drainage of sinus and other fluids from the head and neck.
• Fibromyalgia: MLD may help manage the widespread pain and tenderness associated with fibromyalgia by reducing inflammation and relaxing the nervous system.
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: MLD may assist with sluggish lymphatic flow and poor immune function often present in people with chronic fatigue sufferers.
• Back Pain and Sciatica through reducing inflammation around the spinal muscles and nerves, improving circulation and reducing pain.